Bayanzürkhiin dugan
Read in Mongolian
Name(s) of Temple :
Bayanzürkhiin dugan,Bayanzürkh shrine,
Rinchen Number :
941
Rinchen Name :
Bayanzürkhiin dugan
Type of Temple :
Not Known
Aimag Temple located in :
Ulan Bator
Old Aimag Name :
Ulaanbaatar
Description of location :
Geleta (Forbáth, p. 225.) describes this place east of Ulaanbaatar in the following way: leaving the city of Maimaachen, from the road one could see a huge timber-yard on the left bank of Tuul River, which was the property of the state. The mountain-inhabitants used to float the logs down on the river to transport it. Above the timber-yard, there was a small temple with a sharp red Chinese-roof with the green Bogd khan Mountain in its background. This was situated before the bridge, on the south of the river, as Geleta describes it. However, it may have been situated not in Bayanzürkh, but near, or on the north slopes of Bogd khan Mountain. Considering the data above it is evident that there was a shrine near the bridge to the east of Khüree, but it may also be the case that different sources mention more than one temple in this area.
The GPS was taken over the bridge on Tuul River at the city border crossing post, which is the presumed site according to Rinchen’s map.
GPS readings :
North 47° 53’ East 107° 04’
Revived temple on site :
No
Status of site at time of survey :
There are no remains. The exact place of the temple is unknown, and no information about its exact whereabouts could be obtained. The GPS was taken over the bridge on Tuul River at the city border crossing post, which is the presumed site according to Rinchen’s map.
Old monastery/temple revived:
No
Үүсгэн байгуулагч хүний нэр болон цол хэргэм (мэдэгдэж байвал):
Date of Reviving:
Notes :
See UBR 941 AM.pdf. Bayanzürkh Mountain, one of four mountains around Ulaanbaatar, is situated on the East of the valley in which the city lies.
According to O. Pürew, there were several chapels mainly on the outskirts of the city, which had only temporary assemblies, built for the worship of local mountain spirits such as Dünjingarwiin süm (UBR 924 Rinchen 924), Bogdiin khiid (dugan) or Tsetsee günii khural (Rinchen 938) (for the worship of the spirit of Bogd khan mountain). In Bayanzürkhiin dugan the dog-headed spirit (Chidon or Nokhoi nüürt, TIB: khyi gdong) of Bayanzürkh Mountain was worshipped, as well as this holy mountain, one of the four surrounding the capital. Apart from those marked in Rinchen’s map, Pürew claims there must have been many others such temples around the city, for example for the other two mountains, Songino and Chingeltei, surrounding the capital, but there are no extant records of them.
According to Dariimaa (p. 50.), poor Mongolians lived in this territory, which is next to the bridge on Tuul River. The “settlement” called Khöliin modchin (‘carpenters of the foot of the mountain’) was at the foot of the mountain next to the bridge and Deed modchin (‘upper carpenters’) in the east, near the mountain. It was divided into two fenced off districts each with yurt dwellings. The two place names contain the word woodmen (modchin), as the inhabitants were woodmen, and made vehicles and objects for everyday use such as buckets, containers, vessels, etc. They exchanged their products for food with those who came to the capital from the countryside. Maybe they also visited Bayanzürkhiin dugan.
Geleta (Forbáth, p. 225.) describes this place east of Ulaanbaatar in the following way: leaving the city of Maimaachen, from the road one could see a huge timber-yard on the left bank of Tuul River, which was the property of the state. The mountain-inhabitants used to float the logs down on the river to transport it. Above the timber-yard, there was a small temple with a sharp red Chinese-roof with the green Bogd khan Mountain in its background. This was situated before the bridge, on the south of the river, as Geleta describes it. However, it may have been situated not in Bayanzürkh, but near, or on the north slopes of Bogd khan Mountain. Considering the data above it is evident that there was a shrine near the bridge to the east of Khüree, but it may also be the case that different sources mention more than one temple in this area.
According to O. Pürew, this kind of small temples was abandoned and neglected after 1937-38.
All data on this temple is kindly provided by Kristina Teleki and Zsuzsa Majer who retain copyright. See relevant section in Monasteries and Temples of Bogdiin Khüree, Ikh Khüree or Urga, the Old Capital City of Mongolia in the First Part of the Twentieth Century: Zsuzsa Majer, Krisztina Teleki Budapest, Hungary. Ulaanbaatar 2006
Form Number :
UBR 941
Survey Team :
Team C