Rinpoche Bagsha Datsan

Rinpoche Bagsha Datsan (Dacan Rinpoche Bagsha) is a Buddhist temple complex on top of Lysaya Gora (Bald Mountain) in Ulan-Ude, the capital of the Republic of Buryatia. The hill here rises to 888 meters, and the datsan's observation platform offers a panoramic view of the city and the Selenga River.

History

The Buddhist center on Lysaya Gora was founded in early 2000 with the blessing of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Its founder was the venerable Yeshe Lodoy Rinpoche (Elo Rinpoche IV), assisted in the construction by his disciple, geshe-lharamba Tenzin Lama. In 2002 the center was officially named "Rinpoche Bagsha," and on June 27, 2004, the datsan held its grand opening. That same year a six-meter Golden Buddha statue, brought from China, was consecrated in the main temple hall.

In 2005 eight Buddhist stupas were installed on the grounds. In 2009 the Bell of the Four Seals appeared here — according to local history sources, the largest Buddhist bell in Russia. The observation platform was reconstructed in 2013. Yeshe Lodoy Rinpoche, the datsan's founder, passed away in February 2025.

What to see

The main shrine of the datsan is the Golden Buddha in the temple hall. Around the complex stand the eight stupas and the Bell of the Four Seals. Visitors walk a ritual circuit here that sources call the "Road of Long Life." The datsan also runs a library with a multimedia archive. From the observation platform on the hilltop the whole of Ulan-Ude and the Selenga valley are visible — one of the main reasons both pilgrims and ordinary tourists climb up here. Locally, the site on Lysaya Gora is known as a "place of power"; Buddhist rites, such as the Dugzhuuba ritual, are still held at the datsan today.

Getting there

The datsan stands on the outskirts of Ulan-Ude, on top of Lysaya Gora. It can be reached by city bus route No. 97, which runs to its final stop, "Datsan." Another option is bus No. 12 or the minibus route "Zheleznodorozhny District — Lysaya Gora" from Ploshchad Sovetov in the city center to the "Lysaya Gora" stop, from which the temple complex is a short walk uphill.