Equestrian statue of Genghis Khan in Tsonjin Boldog Mongolia

CountryMongolia
Town:Tsonjin Boldog
Year of creation:2008
Rider(s):Genghis Khan

(c. 1162–1227) came to power by uniting many of the nomadic tribes of northeast Asia. In 1206, this chieftain, born Temüjin, took the title Genghis Khan, and waged a series of military campaigns – renowned for their brutality and ferocity – sweeping through much of Asia and forming the Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous land empire in world history.

Genghis Khan and his immediate successors conquered nearly all of Asia and European Russia, and sent armies as far afield as central Europe and Southeast Asia. Genghis Khan died in 1227 and was buried in an unmarked grave at an unknown location somewhere in Mongolia. His descendants extended the Mongol Empire across most of Eurasia by conquering or creating vassal states. Many of these invasions repeated the earlier large-scale slaughter of local populations. The Mongol Empire and the states that emerged from it played a major role in the history of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.

It should be kept in mind that beyond his military accomplishments, Genghis Khan also advanced the Mongol Empire in other ways. He not only unified the nomadic tribes of Northeast Asia, but also decreed the adoption of the Uyghur script as the Mongol Empire’s writing system, practised meritocracy and encouraged religious tolerance in the Mongol Empire. Genghis Khan is also credited with bringing the Silk Road under one cohesive political environment. This increased communication and trade from Northeast Asia to Muslim Southwest Asia and Christian Europe, thus expanded the horizons of all three cultural areas.
Present-day Mongolians regard him as the founding father of Mongolia.
Sculptor(s):Erdenebilig, D.

Description:

To emphasize that Genghis Khan was Mongolian, the Mongolians erected several equestrian statues of him, one of them the world’s largest. This statue has been built in Tsonjin Boldog, on the bank of the Tuul River, some 50 kilometres from the capital of Ulan Bator. It is right on the spot where, according to legend, Genghis Khan found a golden whip.

The statue, made from stainless steel, is 30 metres tall and stands on top of a 10 metre high visitor centre. In this centre, one can enjoy not only a giant boot, a ‘golden’ whip and a restaurant, but also a museum, with an attractively displayed collection of old Mongolian artefacts, making clear that these nomadic tribes had a well-developed culture.

It is quite a sensation to go up by elevator through the hind legs of the statue, walk to the head of the horse through its chest and stand on the horse’s neck, with good views of the steppes around the statue.

Also worthy of mention is the entrance gate to the Genghis Khan Statue Complex, with on top his nine generals, from left to right: Chuumergen from the Jurchid tribe, Khar Khiruge, Sorqan Shira, Shikhikhutug, Jelme, Borokhula, Bo’orchu from the Aruled tribe, Jebe from the Uriankhai tribe and Mukhulai from the Jalair tribe.

The Genco Tour Bureau in Ulan Bator took the initiative to establish the Genghis Khan Statue Complex. This organization intends to create an army of 10,000 warriors, all different life-size equestrian sculptures. The method of financing of this army is unique. For 20 million Tugrik (some 10,700 US dollars) one can sponsor a steel warrior, or for 30 million Tugrik (16,000 US dollars) a bronze one, in return for which the warrior will have the face of the sponsor! In Ulan Bator I saw that there is already an equestrian sculpture of a warrior with the face of a Mongolian Olympic medal winner and one with the face of a well-known Mongolian actor.