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Historical and cultural monuments being preserved on and under Also the art of portraiture began to flourish. As evidence of it, Chinggis Khaan's portrait drawn in 1278 by order of the Khubilai Khaan, is still kept in Taipei. Beginning in the 15th century, religion, especially of yellow Lamaism, began to dominate the art of painting. Later it developed into a fine art form. Since those times Mongolian painting began developing in two major directions: iconography and the ground of Central Asia are the mirror of the wisdom and rich cultural heritage of Mongolian ancestors. The rock and cave pictures, found in territories of Dundgobi, Uvurkhangai and Khovd aimags, indicated that this art was flourishing in Mongolia at the end of the Bronze and in the beginning of the Iron Ages.

The paintings of the 13th and 14th centuries reflected mainly the nomads' life style, wars and nature. genre painting, depicting simple life and the people around. B.Sharav (1869-1939) is the painter who linked the old with the new in his art. The Mongolian way of life was depicted in his outstanding work "One day in Mongolia" and various portraits. A new social system that was founded upon the victory of the revolution in 1921 was focused on art works. All of them were dedicated to publicising the new system. Mongolian artists became acquainted with European paintings and began using both Mongolian and Western drawing methods. In order to develop Mongolian art systematically, specialised artists were trained and their agencies were established in the country.

In the 1950s, many genres of fine art, carpet and porcelain production were introduced and developed. During this period a number of artists and architects became famous for their thematic work, namely, painter O.Tsevegjav for animals, U.Yadamsuren for workers, N.Chultem and G.Odon for history and everyday life, L.Gavaa for nature, architect S.Choimbol for monuments, etc. In the 1960s, there was a great change in the tradition of art: artists began refusing to use linear perspectives, harmonisation of colours and colour endowment in every respect, and began to use other techniques of painting. Themes and content expanded as well.

Art works which represent today's painting techniques are: U.Yadamsuren's "The Old Horse-fiddler", A.Sengetsokhio's " The Mongol Lady", B.Avarzed's "Uurgach" and Ts. Minjuur's "Caravan Guide". The painters L.Gavaa, O.Tsevegjav and Ts.Dorjpalam are famous not only at home, but also abroad. They made great contributions to the creation of new art based on tradition and trained several generations of gifted painters. At present, new and different artistic trends are emerging, and such creative young painters as S.Sarantsatsralt, Do. Bold, J.Munkhtsetseg and D.Tengisbold are developing modern art.

Until the beginning of the 20th century nomadic Mongolia did not have any museums as such. All the beauty of the country was open for both Mongols and foreigners. In 1924, the National Museum of Mongolian History was founded. It contains some of the oldest collections in the country. There are more than 40,000 archaeological, historical and ethnographic objects. Its ten galleries explain Mongolian history and culture from the dawn of humanity to present days. The rare esteemed items on display include the remains from the Hun period (the first Mongolian state) of 3rd century B.C to 1 st A.D. There are also intriguing signs of human remnants from the early Stone and Bronze Ages.

The Museum of Natural History was founded in 1966. It houses large collections of Mongolia's natural history, culture and minerals exhibits. The museum covers five areas: geology, zoology, botany, anthropology and palaeontology. The last section contains the skeletons, fossils and eggs of giant dinosaurs that roamed the present territory of Mongolia some 70 million years ago, and is very informative for the visitor. The largest dinosaur skeleton on show is 5 meters tall and 12 meters long. The museum is undergoing expansion and plans to cover the natural history of the whole world. The fine art museum in Ulaanbaatar is named in honour of the first Mongolian Buddhist leader Zanabazar. It was opened in 1966 and shows Mongolian art work from the Palaeolithic Age to the early 20th century. Three types of prehistoric rock carvings and paintings can be seen: The Palaeolithic (40,GOO-120,000 years ago), Neolithic (8,000-4,000 years ago) and Bronze Age (4000-1000 B.C.)

The exhibits proceed right into the 13th century and exhibits the portraits of the Great Mongolian Khaans: Chinggis, Uguudei and Khubilai. Zanabazar's masterpiece: the White Tara (Sita) and Green Tara (Syama) depicting the spirit of God expressed in the beauty of women. Thanka, a portable icon painting, is made from colours obtained from minerals and precious stones and is a graphic art piece. Silk paintings are yet another popular attraction to art lovers. The Bogd Khaan Museum, originally the winter palace of the last ruler of pre-revolutionary Mongolia, Bogd Javzandamba Agvaanluvsan 8th , was built in the area of the Temple of Mercy, between 1893-1903. Bogd Khaan was born in 1869 in the family of a Dalai Lama's vice-dignitary in a palace called "shodda".

Bogd Khaan was only five years old when he was proclaimed as a supreme religious leader of Mongolia. He died in 1924. The museum consists of two areas: the temple and monasteries and the winter palace. Inside the palace, there is the Khaan's ornate ger covered with snow leopard skins. The main gate was made without a single nail. The Centre of Mongolian Buddhism and largest functioning monastery, Gandantegchilen, was built from 1810 onwards, partly destroyed in the!930s and partly reconstructed in the 1990s. Here one of the largest standing Gods of Buddhism in Central and East Asia, a gilded image of Megjid Janraiseg (Buddha of Compassion and Mercy), is situated. This was initially built in 1911 as a sign of Independence of Mongolia by the decree of Bogd Khaan but the communists destroyed it in 1937. This image of Janraiseg was remade in 1996 and considered to be of better quality than the previous one.

Founded in 1989, the Mongolian National Art gallery has an impressive collection of paintings representing modern art and traditional fine arts. There are more than 6,000 exhibits in the Gallery include paintings, sculptures, applique and embroidery made both in modern and classical Mongolian styles. In the 1980s, the Theatrical museum was founded as a devotion to the history of Mongolian theatre. There are rare photos of actors and actresses and a wonderful collection of puppets. At the end of the 20th century, the Museum of the people subjected to repression in 1930-1939 was opened.
All aimags have own their historical and natural museums. Today there are 47 museums nationwide.

Cinema, the miracle of the 20th century, came to Mongolia in 1910. The first movies were shown in the capital city, at the American Consulate and Russian Stock Exchange's hotel. In 1913 the Sain Noyon Khan Namnansuren (Prime Minister of Mongolia in 1911) is known to have brought some films from Russia to show at the residence of the Bogd Khaan. After the revolution of 1921, films and film equipment were purchased, and students trained in Russia, Mongolian people acquired access to the cinema, called then "Shadow show". It was free of charge until the first cinema theatre "Ard" was built in the 1930. In 1935, under the guidance of the Council of Ministers, a movie production company "Mongol kino" was set up with Soviet assistance.

The first production of the Mongol kino was a documentary film "The celebration of the 1st of May". In 1936, the first feature film "Son of Mongolia" was created with the technical assistance of Soviet's "Lenfilm" studio. Mongolia's first movie directors, cameramen, editors and other personnel were trained at the famous "All Unions' State Cinema Institute" in Moscow. In 1938 the Mongols independently made "Norjmaa's way" and "Herd of Wolves" in 1939. During World War II, Mongolian and Soviet cinematographers worked on a few joint productions with patriotic themes, particularly "His name is Sukhbaatar" (1942) and "Tsogt Taij" (Prince Tsogt) (1945). In this process Mongolian directors and cameramen M.Luvsanjamts, D.Jigjid, B.Demberel, artists Ts.Tsegmed, E.Gombosuren, B.Mijiddorj and Ch.Dolgorsuren and others were show cased.

Movies directed by the famous Mongolian first professional movie director R.Dorjpalam, such as "Golden ger" (a joint production with Germans), "Oh, those women" and "I wish I had a horse" have become classics of Mongolian cinema. The screen version of a novel by Ch.Lodoidamba "The Clear water of the Tamir" (1970-1973) brought Dorjpalam tremendous popularity. Film directors like H.Damdin, Ts.Navaan and B.Baljinnyam have made their own unique contribution to the development of the cinema. Documentaries about the beautiful nature and wildlife of the country by O.Urtnasan have provided a new element to Mongolian cinematography. There are 27 functioning cinema theatres with 300-1200 seats and many other video clubs in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, aimags and cities.

The children's cinema studio established in 1990 has become a theatre for Children and Youth and it includes a Cinema Institute. They have performed on stage and screen much of their creative work. It should be noted that the artists of the children's cinema studios have successfully presented their masterpieces at cinema festivals in Hawaii, Ireland, Fukuoko, Calcutta, Hong Kong, Moscow, Estonia, Berlin, Frankfurt, Brussels, Cairo and Rome. Before the 1990s, about 7-9 feature films were being produced a year. However, Mongolia's film industry has suffered from financial constraints, and competition from western products, which are shown on the numerous CaTV channels that have sprung up over recent years in Ulaanbaatar and other cities.

A few private film-makers have successfully adopted new techniques to attract younger audiences. Foreign cooperation with similar companies has expanded. Joint productions of both documentary and feature films with French, Japanese, Chinese and Mongolian producers have been successfully received at various international film festivals. Based on the government policy to develop documentary movies, every month 2 instalments of the documentary series entitled "Wheel of History" is produced and becomes an archive document.