Choijin Lama Temple

The Choijin Lama Temple (Choijin Lamyn Süm) was commissioned in 1904 by Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty and completed in 1908 to serve as the official state sanctuary for Luvsankhaidav (1871–1918), the Choijin Lama and State Oracle of Mongolia. Luvsankhaidav was the younger brother of Bogd Khan (the 8th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu), the spiritual and political ruler of Mongolia. The state oracle was responsible for entering extreme trance states to consult wrathful Dharmapala guardian deities and deliver geopolitical and spiritual prophecies for the nation.

The complex originally contained six separate temples, serving as a center for secret Tantric practices, exorcisms, and state divination ceremonies. During the state oracle's trance state, powerful wrathful deities like Begtse and Pehar were believed to inhabit his physical body. Following Luvsankhaidav's death in 1918, the temple remained an active monastery until 1937, when communist leader Khorloogiin Choibalsan launched devastating anti-religious purges across Mongolia, destroying over 700 monasteries and executing tens of thousands of lamas.

While most religious sites were dynamited, the Choijin Lama Temple was saved from destruction through the strategic intervention of Mongolian scholars and enlightened officials who argued that the complex possessed unique architectural and artistic heritage. In 1938, the government officially converted the sanctuary into an anti-religious museum, effectively preserving its uncounted sacred artifacts, mummified relics, and intact Tantric alters throughout the communist era. Today, it operates as the Choijin Lama Temple Museum.

Numerous eerie legends surround the Choijin Lama Temple, owing to its history as an epicenter of fierce exorcisms and oracle trances. Central to local lore is the 'Zankhang' hall, the inner sanctum where Luvsankhaidav performed his state oracle rituals. Tradition holds that during trance ceremonies, the heavy iron chains hanging from the ceiling would rattle violently without human touch, and the room would drop to freezing temperatures as wrathful protector spirits descended into the state oracle's body.

Another famous legend involves the preserved tsam dance masks and sacred thangkas displayed in the Yidam temple. Local belief asserts that these ritual masks — some crafted with human skin, crushed bone powder, and horsehair — are permanently imbued with the living wrathful energies of the deities they represent. Urban legends in Ulaanbaatar warn that disturbing or disrespecting these artifacts unleashes a misfortune curse upon the offender, mirroring historical tales of communist commissars who suffered sudden madness or fatal accidents after trying to confiscate ritual weapons from the temple grounds.

Stories also persist regarding the mummified teacher Baldan Choephel, whose preserved corpse rests alongside the main altar. Local believers say his spiritual mind remains conscious, subtly influencing the energy within the temple complex and ensuring that no malevolent force ever completely overpowers the sacred courtyard, while warding off negative intent from disrespectful visitors who enter without spiritual reverence.

Museum staff, night security guards, and maintenance personnel have shared intriguing accounts of supernatural encounters inside the complex over the decades. Security guards frequently report hearing the faint, rhythmic sound of brass bells, Tibetan damaru hand drums, and deep throat-chanting emanating from locked prayer halls long after the gates are closed and visitors have departed.

In the Zankhang and Yidam temples, witnesses claim to have seen shadowy figures wearing ancient oracle robes walking across the central square, only to vanish near the stone lion guardians. Cleaning staff have reported returning to locked exhibition rooms to find ritual silk scarves rearranged, or finding footprints in pristine dust near statues of the 16 Arhats. Visitors during low-tourist hours have described feeling sudden icy breezes, inexplicable heavy pressure on their chests, and the uncomfortable sensation of being watched by the wrathful glass eyes of the tsam masks during quiet afternoon walks through the halls.

The Choijin Lama Temple complex is a masterpiece of late 19th-century Sino-Mongolian-Tibetan architecture. Built with gray brick, carved wooden pillars, and multi-tiered sweeping tile roofs decorated with terracotta dragon finials, the complex comprises five main ceremonial halls: the Main Temple, Zuu Temple, Yidam Temple, Amugulang Temple, and the Zankhang inner oracle courtyard.

Inside the Main Temple stands a magnificent 18th-century gilt statue of Buddha Sakyamuni, flanked by a likeness of Choijin Lama Luvsankhaidav and the preserved embalmed corpse of his teacher, Baldan Choephel. The surrounding halls contain one of the world's finest collections of Buddhist tsam ritual masks, intricate silk thangka embroideries, tantric Vajrayana bronze statues depicted in yab-yum union, and hand-painted murals portraying horrific visions of Buddhist underworld realms.

Located in the heart of downtown Ulaanbaatar in Sükhbaatar District (just south of Sükhbaatar Square), the Choijin Lama Temple Museum is easily accessible on foot from major city center hotels. The museum is open daily year-round, typically from 09:00 to 17:00, with slightly shorter hours during winter months.

An entry fee is required for all visitors, with optional additional tickets for internal photography and guided tours. Visitors should dress respectfully, remain quiet inside active historical shrine rooms, and refrain from touching fragile antique statues, glass display cases, or ceremonial thangkas. Audio guides and English-speaking museum docents are available at the main entrance.

The Choijin Lama Temple holds an unmatched paranormal reputation in Ulaanbaatar due to its preserved status as Mongolia's official State Oracle sanctuary. Unlike modern museums, the complex retains the authentic, untouched atmosphere of early 20th-century secret Tantric ritual practice. Housing embalmed lamas, wrathful deity statues, and exorcism masks in their original ritual locations creates a palpable, haunting atmosphere that resonates with visitors and locals alike.