In the northern most part of China, lies a piece of land, which breeds some of the most passionate people of this nation. These special people are fond of dancing, singing, drinking, wrestling and horse riding. And it was a land that nurtured the supreme rulers of China 700 years ago.
Covering an area of 1.18 million sq km, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region is the third largest subdivision of China, with diversified landscapes and large storage of mineral resources. Forests, grasslands, lakes and farmlands provide enormous travel attractions to tourists who are looking for a taste of the wilderness.
Among all the landscapes, the grasslands are the most famous feature of Inner Mongolia. Imagine the thrill of galloping a horse on the boundless grassland, and later for dinner, taking a big bite of delicious roasted lamb.
When night falls, local people set up bonfires in front of their yurts, which are portable, wood lattice-framed dwellings. The locals will sing and dance to music played by traditional Mongolian instrument, the matouqin, a two-stringed instrument with its head carved into the shape of a horse head.
Inner Mongolia is a multi-ethnic group region with the Mongolian ethic group and the Han people accounting for the majority of this region’s population. However, there are another 48 ethnic groups that also live in this vast region of northern China.
Visitors will discover that the names of places in Inner Mongolia are spelled differently from those of other places in China. Most of the names there come from the Mongolian language.
The following are the five must-dos in Inner Mongolia.
1. Xilin Gol Grassland
In Mongolian, “Xilin Gol” means river between the hills. The grassland is located in central Inner Mongolia’s Xilin Gol League. Listed as “International Biosphere Reserve” by the UNESCO in 1987, it is one of the best examples of grasslands in China, and perhaps even in the world.
The grassland enjoys 180,000 sq km of usable land and is capable of raising 10 million livestock. The non-polluted meat of Xilin Gol lamb and cattle are warmly welcomed in domestic and overseas markets.
While visiting the grassland, visitors can have a taste of the freshest meat of the famous Xilin Gol lamb.
The grassland is also a hotbed of diversified plant species. When the summer comes, the grassland flourishes to look like a green ocean with more than 1,200 kinds of plants growing together.
Horse riding in Xilin Gol is a must.
2. Dazhao Temple
The temple is located in the south of Hohhot, the capital city of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. It is the oldest building and the largest Lamaist temple of this region. The construction of the temple was completed in 1580 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Dazhao Temple gained its fame from a visit by the third Tibetan Dalai Lama in 1586, when he came to dedicate prayers to Buddha. After the ceremony, Hohhot became a religious center for people in Inner Mongolia who came to worship at this temple.
The temple is now a popular tourist attraction because of the impressive buildings, splendid statues, delicate frescos, musical instruments and fine collection of Buddhist scriptures.
3. Genghis Khan’s Mausoleum
Among all the significant rulers in Chinese history, Genghis Khan was one of the greatest. He was the founder of Mongol Empire and the sequential Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and by the end of his life, the Mongol Empire occupied a substantial portion of Central Asia and China.
The present Genghis Khan’s Mausoleum was built in 1954 in Erdos city, about 185 km from Baotou, the largest city of Inner Mongolia.
Most people believe that this mausoleum is not where he was actually buried but is rather a gathering place for Mongolian people to worship the spirit of the mighty Genghis Khan. The great ruler’s real burial place still remains a mystery. The mausoleum consists of three grand halls, which are shaped like Mongolian yurts.
Today, visitors can try delicious Mongolian barbecue, and enjoy a Mongolian-style dance and horse performance in the mausoleum.
4. Hobq Desert
The desert is the sixth largest in China, and is the closest one to Beijing. With the Yellow River as its boundary in three directions, the desert offers one of the most beautiful landscapes in China.
Moving dunes account for 61 percent of this desert, and the entire area is 400 km long and 50 km wide. Close to the Yellow River, the north and west part of this desert enjoys good quality of groundwater, which enables plants to grow.
Interestingly, the desert sand makes unique sounds whenever contact is made. When people walk into the desert, the sounds of the sands are just like someone singing and locals call the desert “the singing sands”.
5. Naadam Festival
The festival is a representative of Mongolian culture. “Naadam” means game and fun in Mongolian language. The five-day festival is an event for Mongolian people to gather and play traditional Mongolian sports and games and is held on the fourth day of the sixth month in China’s lunar calendar, which usually falls in August.
With its origins in the 13th century, the festival has been the largest event for Mongolian people for more than 700 years. Mongolian wrestling, horse racing and archery are the three main games in this festival. Today, the festival serves more as a platform for the Mongolians to showcase their horse-riding culture, brevity and passion to the rest of the world.