Chinggis Khan’s fabled city was founded in 1220 and it was from there that the Mongol Empire was governed for 40 years until it was moved to Beijing. Following the move, and the subsequent collapse of the Mongolian empire, Kharkhorin was abandoned and then destroyed by Manchu soldiers in 1388. Most traces of the city have vanished but the most interesting remains are the two giant stone tortoises, which used to carry inscribed steles (stone tablets). Whatever was left of the city’s bricks and stones were used to help build the glorious Erdene Zuu monastery in the 16th century. A number of important temples survived during the communist era, and carpenters especially will be fascinated to see temples built without the use of a single nail. The wall has 108 stupas, each for a special event, some containing the remains of important lamas. The Golden Stupa, built in 1799, contains 100,000 different Buddhas and 55,070 Bodhisuburgan. With the advent of democracy in 1990 Erdene Zuu has become an active monastery again where one is asked to respect the sacred nature of this place of worship.