Gandan is the largest and most singnificant monastery in Mongolia with over 400 monks and one of Ulaanbaatar’s most interesting sight. Built in the mid 19th century, it is the only monastery where Buddhist services continued to function even during the communist past. Temples are flocked by visitors during religious services that start at 10 a.m. and last until mid-day. Most Buddhist Monasteries in Mongolia were destroyed during the communist regime, which lasted until 1990. One of the only to survive was Gandan Monastery, being used as a showcase for visitors. Its official name is Gandantegchinleng Khiid. This name singnifies something like Great

Place of Complete joy or Great Way to the Cosmos. Literally it can be translated as:
-Gan=rejoyce-Dan=perfect-Teg=vehicle>Tegchin=Mahayna (Greater Vehicle)-Leng=island The Migjid Janraisig Temple is an important part of Gandan Monastery. The temple houses the majestic new gilded statue of Migjid Janraisig, decorated with jewels. This 26 meter high 20 ton statue is a copy of another statue that was destroyed in the 1920’s by communists. The statue was built with donations of Mongolian people as symbol of Buddhist revival in the mid 1990.