Sükhbaatar Square is named after Damdin Sükhbaatar, the 'hero of the revolution' who liberated Mongolia from Chinese rule. In July 1921, at this location in the center of Ulaanbaatar, he apparently proclaimed: 'If we, the whole people, unite in our common effort and common will, there will be nothing in the world that we cannot achieve, that we will not have learnt or failed to do.' This is inscribed at the bottom of a statue of him astride his horse. However, Sükhbaatar would have been saddened to know that this square was also where the 1990 protests were held that eventually overthrew his Communist regime. Now the square is used for more traditional purposes: ceremonies, concerts, strolls, and the occasional rally.
At the north end of the square is the grey Parliament House, which faces south like every ger. In front of the Parliament is a mausoleum built in 1921, which houses the remains of Sükhbaatar. The square is also home to the Palace of Culture, a tall, modern building which contains the Mongolian National Modern Art Gallery, the National Museum of Mongolian History, and the Mongolian Stock Exchange. Opposite the Stock Exchange is the 0-Kilometer marker, the point from which all distance in Mongolia is measured. A short walk away is the Lenin statue for a glimpse into Mongolia's past.