Bogd Khan Palace

Bogd Khan Palace, in Ulaanbaatar, was the winter residence of the Bogd Khan, the last Bogd Gegeen and theocratic ruler of Mongolia, built in stages from the late nineteenth century through the early twentieth century. It combines traditional Mongolian and Chinese architectural styles, pairing Chinese-style pavilions with Mongolian ger-like structures on the same grounds. The palace survived the anti-religious purges of Mongolia's socialist period that destroyed most of the country's other monastic and palace architecture, reportedly preserved on Soviet orders as a museum piece rather than for continued religious or political use. It now operates as a museum of Mongolia's last theocratic monarchy.