Genghis Khan to get back his 10,000-strong guard

The 10,000 guards are to be made of bronze and will line up in serried ranks beneath the 40 metre statue of Genghis Khan on the bank of the Tuul River, 54km east of capital Ulaanbaatar. The guards are guaranteed to stand tall for 500 years, though the sculpture has an estimated life expectancy of 2000 years.

Buyers have some choice in the arms and clothing of their guard, and his place in the guard under Genghis Khan's watchful gaze. The factory producing the guards is churning out 200 a month, it is understood. Genghis Khan was the founder and Great Khan - or emperor - of the Mongol Empire, which after his demise in 1227 became the largest contiguous empire in history.