At the northern end of the city are some crumbling walls built around 1762 by the Manchu (Qing dynasty) warlords who once brutally governed Mongolia. The 40,000 sq metre walled compound once contained several temples, a Chinese graveyard and the homes of the Manchu rulers, though there’s little left to see. 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.
