Wutai Mongolian Camp Folk Resort

Wutai Mongolian Camp Folk Resort

When you step into the pristine grasslands of Wutai Mongolian Camp and immerse yourself in the sea of green, you will instantly be intoxicated by an indescribable atmosphere.

It’s a kind of freshness and simplicity that’s hard to define — the blue sky and white clouds stretch boundlessly and carefreely, while the lush grass and grazing cattle and sheep stretch out in blissful leisure. In the distance, a not-so-clear horizon. The wind comes from somewhere and goes somewhere.

The fragrance of moist earth mingles with the subtle scent of fresh grass, cleansing every cell in your body and soothing every inch of your skin. The embracing earth feels so vast and solid, while the blue sky above is so tranquil and lofty. Everything feels so real, so intimate, and so unguarded. Compared to the crowded streets and towering buildings of modern urban spaces, you can truly experience the charm of nature and the essence of freedom. This is the only Mongolian settlement village in Hebei Province — Wutai Mongolian Camp, located in Shangyi County — the pristine grasslands of Wutai Mongolian Camp.

A few valiant and sturdy soldiers gallop on their powerful steeds across the boundless grassland. The rhythmic clatter of hooves alerts roe deer and wild goats hiding in the distant grass, who prick up their ears, while several hares dart away and vanish into the knee-high green. Suddenly, the leading officer points with his whip and exclaims in delight, “Water!” Before them lies a vast lake shimmering with ripples and teeming with waterfowl. This lake, nestled in the grassland, resembles the bright eyes of a beautiful maiden — clear, transparent, and full of emotion. The soldiers’ faces light up with joy. The officer marks the spot on a map, and after lingering for a while, they leave reluctantly. A few days later, several felt tents are erected. Thus, the grasslands gain the presence of galloping horses, and the lakeside sees resting travelers — and so, a post station is born.

According to the *Shangyi County Annals*, in the 32nd year of the Kangxi reign (1693), the Altai Military Relay Stations were established, stretching from Zhangjiakou to Khüree (present-day Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia), with a total of 48 stations. Within Shangyi County, there were Station Four (Aomihuduga) and Station Five (Hestai). Later, as the prosperous era of Kangxi and Qianlong dawned, this once war-torn frontier land gradually saw fewer beacon fires. Some nomadic Mongolian herders, drawn to this feng shui-rich land, gradually settled here, forming a camp that would become the only Mongolian settlement village in Hebei Province — Wutai Mongolian Camp.

Ancient history has left behind many beautiful legends. The Queen Mother of the West owned a precious mirror, entrusted to a maid. One day, the maid, enchanted by the earthly scenery, secretly came to these grasslands. While lost in the beauty of the blue sky, green grass, birdsong, and floral scents, she accidentally dropped the mirror. In an instant, it transformed into a sparkling lake. This is now Chahan Nur (in Mongolian, “chahan” means white, and “nur” means lake). There is also a legend about the Nine Fairies. To the northwest of the lake lies a small earthen mound. Locals say that on summer afternoons, one might see nine fairies sitting there combing their hair. These fairies, who weave for the Queen Mother, are said to descend to Chahan Nur when tired from weaving, to bathe and play, then relax and comb their hair on the mound. Perhaps because the locals hold this land so dear, numerous legends surround the grasslands and the lake — tales of water buffaloes, water sheep, golden colts, and more. Though legends are just that, the captivating beauty of these grasslands is undeniable. The area’s purely Mongolian community and traditional pastoral lifestyle have preserved the full richness of Mongolian ethnic culture.

Today, the herders still wear traditional Mongolian robes and converse entirely in Mongolian. They remain worthy of the title “people on horseback” — children as young as seven or eight ride untamed horses across the grasslands like the wind. The only change is that, having settled into permanent homes, they no longer live in yurts but in red brick houses. However, a distinct difference between the homes of Wutai Mongolian Camp herders and Han Chinese households is that the former have no walls. This is partly because the herders raise large numbers of livestock and need easy access for grazing, and partly due to the simple and honest local customs — “no one picks up lost items, and no doors are locked at night” is not uncommon here. If you leave something behind, you can always find it by retracing your steps.

The herders maintain traditional Mongolian dietary habits. No meal is complete without milk tea, which they call a “miracle remedy.” In summer, it cools and refreshes; in winter, it warms and protects; after drinking too much, it soothes the stomach; at night, it aids sleep. Herders say, “A day without tea makes meals tasteless and sleep elusive; three days without tea brings dizziness, lethargy, and listlessness.”

The herders’ food mainly falls into two categories: white foods and meat dishes.

White foods, called “chagan ide” in Mongolian, meaning “white food,” symbolize purity and nobility. They are divided into solid foods and drinks. Solid white foods include: milk tofu, cheese, milk crisp, milk skin, butter, ghee, cracklings, and curds. Drinks include: fresh milk, yogurt, milk wine, and reboiled wine. The processing of dairy products embodies the sweat, wisdom, and skill of the Mongolian people. When making milk tofu, fresh milk is filtered through clean gauze into a container, where it naturally coagulates in two or three days. The curdled milk is then poured into a pot and gently boiled over low heat while slowly extracting the whey, leaving behind thickened curds. These are then kneaded repeatedly with a spoon or special wooden tool until smooth and uniform, pressed into molds, dried, and thus turned into milk tofu. Many dairy products involve complex preparation processes.

Meat dishes, called “ulaan ide” in Mongolian, primarily use beef and mutton as their main ingredients.

Mongolians do not cut off the heads of slaughtered animals, nor do they debone the meat. In summer, they mainly slaughter sheep, and in winter, cattle. Mongolians only eat meat from animals slaughtered by designated individuals; meat from animals that died otherwise is not consumed. Wutai Mongolian Camp has four designated butchers for the entire settlement. There are taboo days for slaughtering animals, called “biin bogshu” in Mongolian, meaning “forbidden days.” These generally include: no slaughtering or trading on the 2nd and 16th of each month; no slaughtering on Saturdays and Sundays; no slaughtering cattle on “cattle days” or sheep on “sheep days.”

When hosting guests, hospitable Mongolians follow certain customs regarding lamb dishes. A whole lamb is the highest form of respect, followed by lamb back and hand-held lamb. Hand-held lamb consists of bone-in meat cut along the joints, boiled in lightly salted water until just cooked or briefly blanched, then served sliced with a Mongolian knife or eaten by hand. The shoulder blade is offered to the most honored guest, followed by ribs or vertebrae with half a rib. If there’s leftover meat from slaughtering, herders dry it into jerky, another favorite food. Jerky is mostly beef-based, as herders say mutton jerky becomes toxic after 100 days, while beef jerky becomes medicinal — nourishing yin, strengthening yang, and fortifying bones and muscles.

The marriage, funeral, and other rituals of Wutai Mongolian Camp herders are rich in ethnic character. When someone in the camp passes away, burial takes place within a day, and regardless of relation, all villagers — adults and children alike — come to mourn, chant scriptures, and pray for the soul. Originally, sky burials were practiced, where the deceased was placed in a special bag with grains and transported to the wilderness via a cart. After the 1950s, influenced by Han customs, burials gradually shifted to in-ground interment. Now, cremation is practiced, with ashes laid to rest in a dedicated cemetery on Wutai Mountain.

During weddings, both the bride’s and groom’s families select a “great host” — a person who must be eloquent, respected, and able to drink. The great host determines how much the wedding guests will drink, choosing from small two-liang cups to seven-liang silver bowls. The type of vessel and number of toasts are all decided by the great host. When fetching the bride, the groom must visit her home — as the saying goes, “No bride is given without meeting the groom.” The groom must bring a bottle of liquor to toast the bride’s parents and elders. In the camp, no dowry is required for marriage, so once the bride’s parents drink, they accept the groom. Hence the saying, “A bride is won with a single toast.”

The camp celebrates two traditional festivals: New Year’s Day on the first day of the first lunar month and the Temple Festival on the 13th day of the fifth lunar month. Additionally, a child’s 12th birthday, called “Yuan Sheng’er” (meaning “completing the zodiac cycle”), is celebrated with great festivity, akin to a holiday with lavish banquets and guests.

The Mongolian people are known for their hospitality. When visiting a herder’s home, be generous, sincere, and relaxed — this makes the hosts feel close and welcome, convinced they are hosting genuine and esteemed guests. Otherwise, they may think you are insincere and hard to connect with.

The traditional folk culture and vast natural grasslands give this land a uniquely charming appeal.

Beyond the Tianshan Mountains, beneath the Yinshan range,

The sky is like a dome, covering all the earth.

The sky is vast, the land is boundless,

The wind blows the grass low to reveal cattle and sheep.

This ancient song of the Tiele people, passed down for a thousand years, is bold and vigorous in style, simple yet majestic. With just a few strokes, it captures the unique grandeur of the grasslands, leaving ample room for imagination. Under the pure blue sky with drifting white clouds, across the emerald grass dotted with grazing animals, and above the white yurts with curling smoke — such poetic grassland scenery is truly enchanting. If you wish, starting from Beijing, it takes less than four hours to journey from a bustling metropolis to a simple grassland, from noise to tranquility.

As you follow the melodious sound of the horsehead fiddle and the loud herding songs into these grasslands, the resort’s young men and women will greet you with white hadas (ceremonial scarves), sing heartfelt folk songs, offer you a cup of fragrant wine, and wash away the fatigue of your journey. Sip a cup of aromatic milk tea, sample various flavors of dairy treats, taste authentic hand-held lamb, and let the toasting songs of the youths carry you away — you’ll be drunk not on wine, but on the moment.

With a slight tipsiness, step out of the yurt and into the grasslands. The sight of girls in beautiful ethnic costumes singing and dancing, and men wrestling or horse racing, will show you why Mongolians love vibrant attire. Under the vast, open sky and across the boundless grasslands, the fluttering sleeves and twirling skirts in bright colors are like blooming flowers. These vivid garments are not only a way for them to express life, but also a reflection of their love for life and vitality. The vast and generous grasslands have endowed them with a sincere, simple, open-minded, and courageous national character — and they, in turn, make the grasslands more lively and dynamic.

Follow the ancient wheel tracks of the carts, venturing deep into the grasslands to experience the sensation of rabbits darting and eagles soaring. The grasslands are home to many adorable creatures — hares, foxes, badgers, and susliks. The suslik is an edible animal, considered one of the “four great delicacies” along with swan, pigeon, and another local bird. In leisure time, bring a bucket of water, pour it into a suslik hole, and soon they’ll emerge one after another. Skinned and cleaned, they’re delicious when roasted. The grasslands are also rich in birdlife — larks, quails, pheasants, orioles, and bluebirds. The orioles, both yellow and blue, are especially striking — small, agile, and brightly colored. The grasslands are covered with plants like the sour willow, red in color, whose peeled bark is tender and tangy. There are also mushrooms — after rain and under the sun, white mushrooms sprout everywhere across the grasslands. Even if you don’t eat them, just the act of mushroom-picking is enough to bring joy.

Now, you can take a walk by Chahan Nur. At nearly 1,400 meters above sea level, a lake of this size is among the largest in Hebei Province. Standing by the lake, you might feel as though you’re at the ocean. Herders say that if two people ride horses along opposite shores, it takes a full day to meet. Boating on the lake offers a completely different experience from rowing in a park. There’s less artificiality and more natural charm — you can truly feel like “you are the painting.”

Riding horses and camels, as well as taking a ride in a wooden cart called a "lele," are also essential experiences. Whether you mount a horse and let it roam freely, gallop with the reins loose, or sway along atop a camel, these moments will leave you with unforgettable memories. Used to traveling by car or train? Try the lele cart—it’s a unique experience. The old ox plods along unhurriedly, the cart sways from side to side, the wheels creak, and the path winds through the landscape. At this moment, you might find yourself reflecting. Back in the day, most merchants operating around Zhangjiakou were involved in transport, traveling back and forth along the trade route between Zhangjiakou and Kulun. They would set off in February and return by mid-autumn, with each trading trip lasting half a year. In those times, people either rode in such lele carts or led those swaying camels. The hardships and toil go without saying—hundreds of miles of grassland with no signs of human life, coupled with rampant bandits and lurking wolves. The outcome is easy to imagine: many never made it back. In those days, “heading west” was a last resort.

The resort also features a “Northern Farming Museum,” which displays ancient tools used in the daily lives and work of various northern ethnic groups. Here, you can learn about the history of these peoples, appreciate the hardships of slash-and-burn cultivation, and marvel at the wisdom and perseverance of working people. The enduring journey of humanity has been one of incredible struggle and difficulty.

The return of herds to the grassland after grazing is a breathtaking sight not to be missed. A large, round, and fiery red sun slowly descends toward the horizon, and as its afterglow spreads, the clouds in the western sky stretch all the way to above your head. The sky transforms into a world of color, surreal and mysterious. At this time, herds of horses, cattle, and sheep come flooding in from all directions like a tide heading toward the village. For a moment, the sounds of people laughing and animals calling fill the air, and the whole village seems to come alive. After the busy work of herding the sheep into pens and the cattle into sheds, the evening breeze gently blows, accompanied by the chirping of insects, marking the serene night of the grassland.

The bonfire is lit, and young men and women who have worked hard all day gather around. They dance the Andai and chopstick dances. Everyone, whether acquainted or strangers, joins hands. Amidst the aroma of roasted lamb and the intoxicating scent of kumis (fermented mare’s milk), they enter a state of joyful abandon.