Mausoleum of Genghis Khan, Genghis Khan Mausoleum in Ordos, China

The Mausoleum of Genghis Khan is a cenotaph in Ordos, China, formed by three halls with gilded roofs and Mongolian ornamentation. The compound extends across the Bayin Changhu grasslands and combines traditional Mongolian architecture with spiritual exhibition spaces.

The present mausoleum was built between 1954 and 1956 by the government of the People's Republic of China in traditional Mongol style. It replaced the mobile 'eight white yurts' that had been moved to Qinghai in 1949 and brought back to Ejin Horo in 1954. Desecrated during the Cultural Revolution, it was restored with replicas in the 1980s and named a national AAAAA-rated attraction in 2011.

The Darkhad fulfill their hereditary role as guardians by performing ceremonial acts according to handed-down Mongolian customs. Visitors can observe these keepers lighting incense and chanting ritual songs connected to the veneration of the empire founder.

The compound lies roughly 40 kilometers south of central Ordos and is accessible via paved roads. Visitors should allow time for the exhibition rooms and occasional traditional performances held in the courtyards.

The white marble statue in the main hall is 4.3 m tall, not life-size, and stands before a map of the Mongol Empire at its widest reach across Asia and Europe. The walls around it carry 1,206 gilded dragons. The hall's plaque was inscribed by Ulanhu in 1985.