Bayinchanghoge Grassland

Bayinchanghoge Grassland

Covering an area of approximately thirty square kilometers, Bayinchanghoge Grassland is a largely untouched, pristine meadow. In the past, it was a restricted area around the mausoleum of Genghis Khan. The Bayinchanghoge River, which encircles the mausoleum of "the Great Conqueror" Genghis Khan, nourishes the beautiful grasslands on both banks.

Every year on March 18th, worshippers gather at the sacrificial campsite on Bayinchanghoge Grassland from all over Ordos to participate in the grand Chagan Sulde Festival held on March 21st. During this period, pilgrims from across the Mongolian region flock to Ikh Juu League, and many merchants also come, bringing gold, silver, jewelry, silk fabrics, brick tea, and daily necessities favored by the Mongolians to take part in the Chagan Sulde Festival. The grassland becomes dotted with yurts and felt tents, filled with the sounds of people and horses, transforming the usually tranquil landscape into a vibrant and bustling scene.

Although sacrificial ceremonies are no longer held on Bayinchanghoge Grassland after the completion of the Genghis Khan Mausoleum, large-scale Naadam festivals are still held here every year.

In 1987, a temporary palace was built at the western end of Bayinchanghoge Grassland, adding a new attraction to the area. Ancient court banquets known as "Zhuma Feast" (also called Zha Ma Feast) are frequently held here, showcasing traditional culture from ancient times.

The Darhad herders living around the Genghis Khan Mausoleum have established numerous yurts around the Bayinchanghoge meadow, offering visitors an immersive experience of the nomadic lifestyle. They also provide recreational activities such as horse riding, archery, and wrestling.

Bayinchanghoge Grassland boasts lush trees, abundant water and grass, grazing cattle and sheep, and galloping horses, retaining the vast characteristics of the steppe. From a distance, the scattered yurts look like white clouds floating on the blue sky. The entire grassland exudes the fragrance of milk, making it a truly enchanting place. Distant visitors are welcomed into the pristine white yurts, where they can enjoy milk tea and hand-held lamb, listen to the melodious and captivating Ordos folk songs sung by the herders, ride horses freely across the grassland, experience the nomadic culture, witness ancient customs, and live like a true grasslander. The beautiful and heartfelt Bayinchanghoge Grassland leaves visitors lingering and reluctant to leave.

The stunning scenery of Bayinchanghoge Grassland, along with the ancient customs of the Darhad people, further accentuates the majestic beauty of the imperial mausoleum on the grassland — the Genghis Khan Mausoleum.

Chagan Sulde, in Mongolian, means “White Herd.” There are several legends about the origin of the Chagan Sulde Festival in Ordos. One version says: when Genghis Khan had just turned fifty, he fell seriously ill and recovered only two months later. It was believed that this marked the end of eighty-one days of bad omen. On March 21st, a long rope was tied to a multitude of livestock, and the milk of ninety-nine white mares was sprinkled toward the ninety-nine heavens. The “Round White Steed” was anointed as sacred, regarded as the divine horse of the Jade Emperor. Another legend says: in the spring of the year Genghis Khan turned fifty, a rare drought struck. Genghis Khan believed that the third month of spring was an inauspicious month that needed to be turned into good fortune. Therefore, he sprinkled the milk of ninety-nine white mares toward the heavens. A white horse was adorned with white silk and sanctified as the symbol of the “White Herd,” which was then worshipped.

The "Ten Blessings Classic White History," written during the Yuan Dynasty, also clearly records: “Genghis Khan used ninety-nine mares to sprinkle fresh milk in sacrifice.”

The historical text "Crystal Bead" also states: “In the Year of Xinwei, when Genghis Khan was fifty years old and residing by the Kherlen River, he offered the first milk of a precious steed to the supreme heavens as a sacrifice, and formally decreed this act as law, spreading the practice throughout Mongolia.”

Genghis Khan Mausoleum

Mongolian Historical Scroll

Eight White Palaces Tents

Mongolian Historical and Cultural Museum

Altan Gandeli Ovoo

Sulede Altar

Iron Horse and Golden Tent Sculpture Group