Shoushan Folk Resort

Shoushan Folk Resort

The Shoushan Folk Leisure Resort is located in Shengli Village, Yixin Township, Dorbod Mongol Autonomous County, Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province. It derives its name from General Yuan Shoushan, a patriotic hero who fought against Japanese and Russian forces during his era, and who is buried here. The resort enjoys a prime location, convenient transportation, and excellent communication links. It serves as a suburban park of the world-renowned oil city, Daqing. Both its natural scenery and cultural landscapes are highly distinctive, resembling poetic and legendary beauty—like an unpolished jade radiating a simple and natural charm. It attracts numerous visitors for leisure, historical exploration, and to enjoy the pleasures of nature. The Shoushan Leisure Resort boasts vast land, abundant water, and unique mountains, with a long history. As early as the late 11th century, the indigenous Dorbod Mongols engaged in herding and hunting here, and to this day, the area retains its distinctive regional ethnic culture. Hence, the Mongols refer to the Shoushan Leisure Resort as “Eresi Bo,” meaning “Sand Fence” or “Sand Tribe,” carrying the typical naming flavor of a nomadic people. The development plan of the Shoushan Leisure Resort emphasizes regional and ethnic, as well as folk, characteristics.

Upon entering the main gate of the resort, visitors are greeted by a grand and towering sculpture called “Suoyongbao,” which symbolizes national unity, indestructibility, freedom, bravery, the flourishing of the ethnic group, and eternity. Walking along the broad road leads to the picturesque Sandy Botanical Garden. Surrounded by water on three sides, the garden features undulating peaks, lush greenery, and a rich variety of plants. The ancient elm trees here grow in particularly unique shapes. Horticulture experts describe the ancient elms as “a hundred pairs, a hundred forms,” likening the garden to a magical bonsai or a natural root carving park. The vast and pristine Longhu Lake offers clear water and clean sand, making it an ideal natural bathing spot, as well as a great place for swimming, water skiing, boating, and enjoying the summer heat in the sandy beach huts. A famous horse racetrack is situated on the eastern bay of the lake. When the lake is calm, its surface shimmers with gentle ripples; but in stormy weather, waves crash violently against the shore, churning up the sands—resembling a rising tide in the ocean, a truly spectacular sight rarely seen in the inland grassland regions of northern China. The lakeside stone-paved street is wide and bright, and a newly built ethnic song and dance stage hosts large-scale performances every weekend, featuring traditional Mongolian songs and dances. After taking in the beautiful mountain and water views, visitors can naturally savor local delicacies such as Mongolian cuisine and fisherman’s flavors. The Shoushan Leisure Resort is rich in Mongolian cultural elements and features a Mongolian-style resort (Grassland Tribe) with comprehensive functions including dining, accommodation, and entertainment. Both the distinctive yurts and the activities within continue traditional cultural and lifestyle settings.

General Shoushan’s Tomb: This area is a narrow peninsula-shaped sand dune zone with sparse tree grassland vegetation. The main trees include elms, hawthorns, crabapples, and apricots. At an altitude of 139–151 meters, at the foot of the sand dune in the northeast corner lies the tomb of Gongga Chaoketan, the 15th prince of the former Dorbod Banner, and General Yuan Shoushan, a renowned anti-Russian hero of modern times. At the foot of the hill stands a stone stele that records his life and achievements.

“Lin Zexu in the south, Yuan Shoushan in the north”—one legendary hero, two national heroes, together wrote a glorious chapter in China’s history of resisting foreign aggression. While there are memorials for the anti-Japanese and anti-Russian patriotic General Yuan Shoushan in Heihe and Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province, the true resting place of General Shoushan is at the Shoushan Folk Leisure Resort in Durbert, nestled against the mountain and facing the lake—a feng shui treasure site. Historical records indicate that Yuan Shoushan, courtesy name Meifeng, was a descendant of the late Ming Dynasty general Yuan Chonghuan and a member of the White Banner of the Han Army. In 1894, during the First Sino-Japanese War, he displayed exceptional bravery in battle and was commended by the Qing government. In 1899, he was appointed Governor of Heilongjiang. At that time, when Tsarist Russia invaded Heilongjiang, General Yuan Shoushan led his troops in resistance until he died a martyr’s death. Because his wife was the daughter of Xilabuluopil, the Zasak (prince) of the Dorbod Banner, the prince chose the current tomb site for his son-in-law in the Dorbod Banner. To commemorate the martyr, strengthen patriotic and ethnic unity education, and promote tourism development and the building of a better Dorbent, Daqing City decided to construct the Shoushan General Park in a stele forest style, establishing it as a base for patriotic education.