Great Burkhan Khaldun Mountain and its surrounding sacred landscape, Mongolia

The Burkhan Khaldun Mountain is one of the highest in the Khentii mountain range, which forms the watershed between the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. Forests cover the mountains’ highest slopes while the valley below consists of open grasslands and rivers which feed swampy meadows.

This is a pristine, unspoilt landscape with rich biodiversity, where nomadic cultural expressions and traditional pastoralism survive, and ancient shamanic and Buddhist practices prevail.

The Great Burkhan Khaldun Mountain is frequently referred to in ancient written sources, such as The Secret History of Mongols, in association with significant events in the life of Chinggis Khan, the first Great Khan (Emperor) of the Mongolian Empire.  

Considered to be one of the country’s most sacred mountains, this site is believed to have been both the home and the final resting place of Chinggis Khan, as well as being the birthplace of the Mongolian Empire, which he founded in 1206.

The mountain is located at the end of a valley which stretches for 20 km from east to west and approximately 2 km from north to south. Hard reeds growing along the banks of the river create a favourable habitat for animals.

The road to the Great Burkhan Khaldun Mountain is challenging, with many twists and turns, yet the Mongolian people's desire to reach its revered summit is enduring.

The Tengeriin Ovoo (Heavenly Hill) is located at the summit of the mountain. This natural formation, that may otherwise be described as a pile of stones, is believed by some to be the tomb or burial site of Chinggis Khan.

Various streams and rivers surrounding the Burkhan Khaldun Mountain come together to form the Kherlen River, which flows through the provinces of Khentii, Tov and Dornod and eventually into the Dalai Lake in Chinese Inner Mongolia.

It has a total length of 1090km and, according to archival sources, the river has long been worshipped.

To this day, the beginning of every summer sees the inhabitants of the Khentii and Dornod provinces carrying out rituals of worship at the river. During the rituals, they sing “Kherlengiin Bariyaa” and praise the Kherlen river. 

Another of the highest peaks of the Khentii Mountain Range is that of the Erdene Mountain. Its rivers and streams flow into the Kherlen River, which runs along the eastern side of the mountain. Historical records indicate that Erdene Mountain was also an ancient sacred site.

Numerous records describe the worshipping rites of the Great Burkhan Khaldun Mountain, and the people of Mongolia today still worship their sacred mountain with the greatest devotion and highest respect, preserving the rituals that have been handed down from time immemorial.

Established in 2020, the Administration Office for the Burkhan Khaldun Mountains is committed to its conservation management plan to protect and preserve the mountain and its nearby sites and monuments in their original forms. 

The Administration is active in implementing its short and long term plans to protect and safeguard the region's traditional livelihoods, cultural expressions and craftsmanship, as well as to preserve the site’s pristine nature and biodiversity.