On the Early Gelug Monastery of Inner Mongolia ― Maidari-juu

Introduction. By the end of the 19th century, there were more than 1 200 monasteries in Inner Mongolia. Unfortunately, only names or mentions in some historical chronicles or archival documents have remained about most of them. The analysis of the researches on the history of Maidari-juu monastery showed that this monastery is practically unknown in Russian historiography, therefore the purpose of the article is to give a brief description of the history of the monastery, its temple structure, analyze its architectural and historical-cultural features, and consider the current state of the complex. Comparative and narrative methods were used to present the history of the monastery in chronological order, to analyze events and summarize data, and typologically compare it with other monasteries of Inner Mongolia. The articles by Chinese and European scholars, information from the monastery’s website, and materials collected during the trip to the monastery in 2024 have been used as the main sources. Results and Conclusions. Maidari-juu is one of the earliest Mongolian monasteries, founded in 1565 by Altan Khan (1507–1581) on the territory of the modern settlement of Maidari-juu in the Western Tumet khoshun near the city of Baotou. It was planned to be the headquarters of Altan Khan (Yeke Baysing), his principal administrative center, where his relatives, descendants, and courtiers would live, later it was transformed into a temple complex, where the local population lived along with monks. In 1606, Maidari khutukhtu arrived at the monastery from Tibet, after whom the monastery was named later on. The settlement and the monastery flourished until the death of Maidari khutukhtu and the main heirs of Altan Khan. The monastery played an important role in the spread of Tibetan Buddhism among the Tumets. By the end of the 19th century there were 15 temples in it, out of which 6 large temples, taken under protection in 1979, have survived up to the present day. After a long break, religious services have been partially resumed in it in the late 1990s. In 1996, the monastery was included into the list of the “Major National Historical and Cultural Sites of Inner Mongolia”. Now the monastery is not only a major tourist site, but also an active Buddhist monastery, functioning in accordance with the policy of the Chinese Communist Party and all legislative acts concerning religions and ethnic minorities. 

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