How does one begin to locate, without a shovel or directions, the ancient, buried tomb of the man who ruled one of the largest empires ever known? According to legend, anyone who witnessed the funeral procession was killed on the spot and 10 000 horses trampled the ground where he was buried to ensure it was never found.

Lin’s research leads him to target a lost mountain — the Burkhan Khaldun — in the heart of Mongolia’s “forbidden zone”. Considered hallowed ground, the Forbidden Zone has remained protected territory since the time of Khan’s rule. It is speculated that Khan believed the mountain range to be full of power that he did not want others to misuse, and consequently restricted access to it. To this day, few have gained entrance to the area and no detailed maps of the region exist.

The odds are stacked against Lin and his team as they tackle this 12 000 square-kilometre landscape without references or being able to dig. Encountering a series of obstacles along the way including harsh terrain, swollen rivers, and violent storms, Lin faces seemingly insurmountable odds throughout his pursuit. Equipped with 31 men, 14 horses, four goats, historical texts and legends, and an arsenal of cutting-edge technology, Lin and his team make their way across the challenging terrain.

With the help of advanced technologies including ground penetrating radar (GPR), Lin’s team excavates without ever having to break ground. GPR allows them to see deeper and with higher resolution into the earth, producing 3D images that they then use to reconstruct the buried layers of the past. Additionally, the team uses satellite imagery to identify possible traces of ancient structures along the Burkhan Khaldun mountain range.

As ancient graves are pillaged for valuables to be sold on black markets in Mongolia’s capital, the team must act fast to uncover what would be one of the most spectacular archaeological finds in modern times. Forbidden Tomb of Genghis Khan chronicles Lin’s exploration from the dream that sparked the hunt for a legendary tomb in a forbidden place to a remarkable discovery that just may reveal Mongolia’s best-kept secret and cause waves in the archaeological community for decades to come.

Forbidden Tomb of Genghis Khan is produced for National Geographic Channels International by National Geographic Television (NGT). For NGT, executive producer is Pamela Caragol Wells. For National Geographic Channels International, global head of programming is David Lyle.