July 9. As soon as it opened in the morning, we entered the grounds of the Erdene Zuu Monastery Erdene Zuu Monastery, probably the oldest surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia.
Click on the photos to enlarge them.
The wall is topped with 100 stupas.
The surviving temples: others were destroyed during the Stalin era.
The Golden Stupa, against a looming sky.
A doorway
Exterior and interior are richly decorated in the Chinese style.
Many statues of the Buddha are the focal points of the interiors. These are just a few.
Pillars and walls are covered with ornate symbolic decorations.
Offerings of money are piled in front of yak butter sculptures.
Across the road from the monastery parking lot is a row of shops, including a stand at which visitors may pay to have their photos taken with eagles.
