From Hovd Travel in Mongolia
Sangiin Kherem (Manchu Ruins)
At the northern end of town stand the crumbling ruins of Sangiin Kherem, a Manchurian fortress that once housed a Manchurian viceroy and his 1,500 troops. Built in 1762, the four-hectare walled compound once contained temples, a Chinese graveyard, and the homes of the Manchu ruling class. The walls were once surrounded by a moat 3 meters wide and 2 meters deep, and access was granted to the fortress through three enormous gates. The fortress walls, which once stood between 3 and 5 meters high and were wide enough for two horse carts to pass each other, are all that remain of the fortress, though by examining the ruins one can still gain an impression of its size. In August 1912 a ten-day siege and ensuing two-day battle led by the combined forces of the Mongolian commanders Magsarjav, Damdinsuren, and the madman Dambijantsan nearly destroyed the town, but the Manchurians were pushed from the area for good, and their fortress, a reminder of the years of brutal governance, was left to decay. A scale model of how the fortress appeared at the height of its power is on display at the Hovd Museum.
