Choijin Lama Temple Museum

Overview

The Choijin Lama Temple Museum is a cluster of five ornate Buddhist temples built between 1904 and 1908 in the heart of Ulaanbaatar, now preserved as a museum of religious art. It survived the 1930s purges because it was quickly converted into a museum.

Highlights

• Tsam masks: A remarkable collection of papier-mâché ceremonial masks used in the Buddhist Tsam dance.
• Embalmed lama: The preserved body of Luvsan Haidav Choijin Lama, the state oracle, displayed in the main temple.
• Buddhist art: Thangka paintings, gilded sculptures, and ritual objects spanning the 18th to early 20th centuries.

History

The temples were commissioned by the 8th Bogd Gegeen for his brother, the state oracle Choijin Lama Luvsanhaidav. When the communist government began destroying monasteries in 1937, these temples were spared by being designated a museum. They remain one of the best-preserved temple complexes in Mongolia.

Visitor Tips

• Tip 1: Closed on Mondays — the museum is compact and can be combined with Chinggis Khaan Square nearby.
• Tip 2: The Tsam mask collection is unique to Mongolia — don't miss the display in the western temple.
• Duration: 30–45 minutes.