It is a funny thing about history — it changes depending on the perception of the viewer. Such is the case of Genghis Khan, better known in Mongolia as Chinggis Khan (which means “universal leader”). Whereas in the western world he may be viewed as a ruthless, marauding conqueror, Mongolians consider him as the “father of all Mongols,” the man revered as a brilliant military leader who, in the 13th century, unified dozens of warring tribes into the world’s largest empire.

Eight hundred years later you can see the pride that Mongolians feel about their ancestor — his iconic, bearded face or name appear on the national currency, at the airport and university, on beer bottles and cookie packages. A gigantic seated statue of Chinggis Khan graces Parliament building in Sükhbaatar Square, flanked by his two sons and guarded by two mounted horsemen. And outside ÜlaanBaatar is one of the largest statues in the world — Chinggis Khan, holding his golden whip, mounted on his 250-ton stainless steel steed, overlooking the steppes of Tsonjin Boldog National park.

On a sunny day, the statue first appears as a shining speck on the horizon. As you approach closer, the speck grows into an enormous 130-foot giant sitting on horseback on a 35-foot base surrounded by 36 columns. Each is dedicated to the memory of the 36 kings who followed Chinggis Khan.

Take the  elevator and several flights of stairs up and walk to the head of the horse through its chest and neck for a superb view of the Mongolian steppes. Eventually, a tourist camp with over 200 gers, restaurants, and shopping complexes will occupy the adjacent land. For now, you can look out and take in the vast, empty landscape where horses graze under the steely eye of the Great Khan.

According to legend, this site is where Chinggis Khan found his golden whip (considered as a good omen in Mongolia) that supposedly inspired him to start his conquest of a major part of the world. A replica is inside the base of the statue.

If Chinggis Khan was successful, it was due in part to his horses, the diminutive Mongolian equines that can still be seen galloping across the steppes — and his horsemen. According to Morris Rossabi of Columbia University, “The Mongols by nature are good at riding and shooting. They took possession of the world through the advantage of their bow and horse.”

The horses that gallop across the steppes today are their modern-day descendants. Today’s Mongolian cowboys still use the centuries-old methods of lassoing them. The wooden saddles with stirrups that they use are not dissimilar to those used by Chinggis Khan and his horsemen. According to legend, the stirrup was invented in Mongolia as a means of allowing fighters to fire arrows from a full gallop or even whilst riding backward.

As for Chinggis Khan’s reputation, in the western world, his name is synonymous with mayhem and murder. He is said to have been responsible for the wholesale massacres of civilian populations, perhaps as much as 11% of the world’s population at the time. Mongolians will tell you that he was centuries ahead of his time with enlightened policies that, among other things, espoused freedom of religion, enhanced trading, protected enemy envoys and ambassadors, outlawed the kidnapping of women and established a winter-only hunting season to preserve the game. And unlike many rulers who followed him around the world, he also was of the view that he was bound by the same rules as much as any other person! After his death, his sons and grandsons, including Kublai Khan, extended his empire as far as Eastern Europe and the Middle East before it all started falling apart, the victim of size, distance, and in-fighting amongst Chinggis Khan’s successors.

Irrespective of what you may think, one fact is undeniable. Chinggis Khan created the largest contiguous empire in history stretching from the Danube to the Pacific and the Arctic to Iran. Included in that empire were China and Russia, today considered to be some of the largest countries in the world; yet as you travel from Beijing, through Mongolia, across Siberia to Moscow and beyond on the Trans Siberian Express, you realize that these lands were once the domain of one man — Chinggis Khan, and his united people.

IF YOU GO
A visit to the equestrian statue of Chinggis Khan can be organized through your hotel or by your tour operator.

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