In 1873, at the confluence of Khondergey and Chadan Rivers, a Buddhist monastery called Aldee-Khuree was founded. This year is considered the founding year of Chadan. Under the rule of both the Qing and the Republic of China, it was known as Jiada (Chinese: 加大).
In May 1945, Chadan was granted town status and became the administrative center of Dzun-Khemchiksky District. Around this time, coal deposits were discovered nearby and with open-pit mining starting soon after.
In the Khemchic Valley, 7 km outside town, stands a stubby mud wall decorated with a portrait of the Dalai Lama. That's all that remains of the original Ustuu-Khuree Buddhist temple which had been built in between 1905 and 1908 on the orders of Khaidyp, the local tribal ruler. Khaidyp's adopted son, Mongush Buyan-Badirgi later rose to become independent Tuva's founder and first prime minister.[9] Thus the monastery became a place of considerable influence in Tuvan culture: The first Tuvan coin was minted here and it was a monk from the temple (Mongush Lopsang-Chinmit) who formulated the Latin-based script for the Tuvan language that was used from 1930 to 1943. After the communist coup that ousted Buyan-Badirgi, the temple buildings were mostly destroyed (1937) and the monks exiled or executed.[9]
Since 1999, Chadan has been the site for the annual Ustuu-Khuree festival,[10] originally founded to fund the reconstruction of the Ustuu-Khuree Temple. In 2008 the institution was refounded - assisted by local-born Sergei Shoigu, then Russia's minister of Emergency Situations (and later Defence Minister).[9] The temple finally reopened in 2012 under the guidance of chief monk Jampel Lodoy who would later ascend to the position of Tuva's Kamby Lama, the republic's highest position in the Buddhist clergy.
^Всесоюзная перепись населения 1979 г. Национальный состав населения по регионам России [All Union Population Census of 1979. Ethnic composition of the population by regions of Russia] (XLS). Всесоюзная перепись населения 1979 года [All-Union Population Census of 1979] (in Russian). 1979 – via Demoscope Weekly (website of the Institute of Demographics of the State University—Higher School of Economics.
Законодательная палата Великого Хурала Республики Тыва. Постановление №1648 ЗП-1 от 21 декабря 2005 г. «Об утверждении реестра административно-территориального деления Республики Тыва», в ред. Постановления №455 ЗП-2 от 21 ноября 2007 г «О внесении изменения в реестр административно-территориального деления Республики Тыва». Вступил в силу 21 декабря 2005 г. Опубликован: "Тувинская правда", №2, 12 января 2006 г. (Legislative Chamber of the Great Khural of the Tyva Republic. Resolution #1648 ZP-1 of December 21, 2005 On Establishing the Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Division of the Tyva Republic, as amended by the Resolution #455 ZP-2 of November 21, 2007 On Amending the Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Division of the Tyva Republic. Effective as of December 21, 2005.).
Великий Хурал (парламент) Республики Тыва. Закон №268 ВХ-1 от 24 декабря 2010 г. «О статусе муниципальных образований Республики Тыва», в ред. Закона №837 ВХ-1 от 10 октября 2011 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Республики Тыва "О статусе муниципальных образований Республики Тыва"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тувинская правда", №178 (без приложений), 31 декабря 2010 г. (Great Khural (Parliament) of the Tyva Republic. Law #268 VKh-1 of December 24, 2010 On the Status of the Municipal Formations of the Tyva Republic, as amended by the Law #837 VKh-1 of October 10, 2011 On Amending the Law of the Tyva Republic "On the Status of the Municipal Formations of the Tyva Republic". Effective as of the official publication date.).