At the northern end of the city are these crumbling ruins, built around 1762 by the Manchu (Qing dynasty) warlords who once brutally governed Mongolia. The compound (40,000 sq metres) once contained several temples, a Chinese graveyard and the homes of the Manchu rulers. Only the perimeter walls remain.
Three enormous gates provided access. At one time there was a moat (2m deep and 3m wide) around the 4m-high walls, but this has been completely filled in. The 1500-man Chinese garrison was destroyed after a 10-day siege and two-day battle in August 1912.
