The Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex: Mongolia's Giant on the Steppe

Posted by: Deegii
30 July, 2026

Drive 54 km east of Ulaanbaatar and the grasslands open up — and then, suddenly, a silver horseman rises out of them. Forty metres of gleaming stainless steel, facing east toward his birthplace. This is the Chinggis Khaan Equestrian Statue, the centrepiece of the Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex at Tsonjin Boldog, and one of the most visited places in the whole country.

Silver Chinggis Khaan equestrian statue on its circular base, with visitors climbing the steps below, Tsonjin Boldog.

Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex, 54 km east of Ulaanbaatar

A monument built to be seen from far away

The statue honours Chinggis Khaan (1162–1227), founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. It was unveiled in 2008, designed by sculptor D. Erdembileg, and stands on a 10-metre platform on the bank of the Tuul River.

Look at the base and you'll count 36 columns circling the building. Each one represents one of the 36 khans who ruled Mongolia after Chinggis Khaan.

The location isn't random, either. Legend says that it was here, at Tsonjin Boldog at the end of the 12th century, that a young man named Temüjin found a golden whip — the piece of luck that set him on the road to becoming Chinggis Khaan.

Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex entrance gate topped with bronze horsemen, statue on the hill beyond.

Your first view of Chinggis Khaan: the statue appears above the hills as you pass through the entrance gate.

Climb up to the horse's head

The best part of the visit is that you can go inside the monument. A lift and a staircase take you up through the horse's chest and neck to a viewing platform right at its head.

From up there you get a panoramic view over the whole complex and the open countryside around it — rolling hills, the river, and an enormous sky. Bring a jacket; the wind on the steppe doesn't take a day off.

Tiny visitors on the viewing platform at the horse's head, showing the scale of the Chinggis Khaan statue.

The lift and staircase run up through the horse's chest and neck to this platform.

More than just the statue

Downstairs, the complex has plenty to keep you busy:

A museum, with exhibitions on Mongolia's Bronze Age and the Xiongnu archaeological cultures

Souvenir shops selling Mongolian handicrafts

A restaurant, for when the steppe air has made you hungry

And the world's biggest boot

Don't leave without seeing this one. The complex is home to the largest boot ever made by human hands — a Mongolian traditional gutal, standing 9 metres tall.

The numbers behind it are almost as impressive as the boot itself. Building it took 225 pieces of buffalo hide, 4,500 metres of rope, 120 m² of felt, 72 m² of sponge, 13 m³ of wood, 300 litres of glue and 180 m² of tarpaulin.

Two visitors dwarfed by the 9m Mongolian gutal boot, with the giant golden whip displayed beside it.

The 9-metre Mongolian gutal boot, with a giant golden whip beside it.

Worth the trip?

Absolutely. It's an easy half-day trip from Ulaanbaatar, and it's one of the few places where you can take in Mongolia's history, its landscape and its sense of scale all at once — with a giant silver Khan watching over your shoulder.