The Bogd Khan (Jebtsundamba Khutuktu VIII) was the religious and political ruler of Mongolia from 1911, when the country declared independence from China, until his death in 1924 — after which the Soviets abolished the position. His Winter Palace complex, in the southern part of the city, survived the Soviet period and is now a museum housing his remarkable personal collection.
The Bogd Khan was an enthusiastic collector: the museum holds his assembly of stuffed and mounted exotic animals (gifts from foreign rulers), European furniture, Mongolian Buddhist art, court regalia, ceremonial gers, and an extraordinary collection of gifts including a fur coat made from 150 foxes and a ger whose sides were made from the pelts of four thousand leopards. The main palace is a hybrid of Mongolian and Tibetan Buddhist architecture, with elaborate painted ceilings. The complex is about 3 kilometres south of Sükhbaatar Square, easily reached by taxi.