Huapiling

Huapiling

Huapiling is located in Zhanhai Township, situated at the southernmost edge of the Bashang Plateau on the Inner Mongolia Plateau. It borders four counties—Zhangbei, Chongli, Chicheng, and Guyuan—and is traversed north to south by Provincial Highway Zhanggu. With its main peak standing at an elevation of 2,128.7 meters, it is the highest peak in the Bashang area and all of Inner Mongolia, and lies 260 kilometers from Beijing.

The highest temperature at Huapiling reaches 24°C, while the lowest drops to -32°C. The average July temperature is 15.8°C, making summers cool and pleasant. Winters are long with substantial snow cover (lasting up to four months), and snow depth can exceed one meter.

Huapiling gets its name from the over a thousand acres of birch trees on its back slope. These birches belong to a pristine secondary forest that has thrived for centuries. The total area of Huapiling spans 10,400 acres, including 1,105 acres of natural birch forest, 8,604 acres of larch planted over the past two decades, and 691 acres of grassland. The mountain is home to thousands of species of wild plants, over 210 varieties of wildflowers such as lilies, mountain lotuses, globeflowers, and peonies, as well as abundant natural edible products like mushrooms, daylilies, and bracken. The area also hosts more than ten species of wildlife under second-class national protection, including roe deer, pheasants, and half-wing birds.

Due to its strategic location at the edge of the plateau, Huapiling has historically been a contested military site. Today, remnants include stretches of the Yan State Great Wall extending for dozens of kilometers, and the ruins of the WeiYuan Gate from the battles between the Song and Liao dynasties—where the gate’s east side belonged to the Liao and the west to the Song.

Guided by the principle of balanced development and conservation, and committed to high standards and a long-term vision, the area has attracted collaboration with Beijing Shengshi Hexie Trading Co., Ltd. to develop the Huapiling tourism zone. The under-construction Huapiling will focus on ecotourism, guided by the concept of scientific development, with an overarching strategy of large-scale tourism, industry, and growth. The goal is to build a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, highlighting three major features: patriotic education, leisure sightseeing, and entertainment. Six major bases will be developed: military training, education and training, conferences, sightseeing, vacationing, and leisure. To date, 6 million yuan has been invested to construct an 8,000-square-meter parking lot, a 500-square-meter restaurant, a 300-square-meter conference hall, 11 wooden villas, 32 European-style villas, 2.2 kilometers of 4-meter-wide cement tourist roads, as well as complete infrastructure for water, electricity, and communications. Additionally, 21,000 meters of ecological landscape fencing have been implemented.