Wuding River

Wuding River

Wuding River

The Wuding River originates from Baiyu Mountain in Shaanxi Province, flows along the southern edge of the Mu Us Desert, and finally empties into the Yellow River. It is the largest inland river in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia.

The Wuding River is the birthplace of the splendid Ordos civilization. In 1922, French Catholic priest and geobiologist Émile Licent first discovered a molar tooth of the Hetao Man here. Since then, Chinese archaeologists have conducted multiple on-site investigations. A large number of unearthed relics prove that as early as 35,000 years ago, the “Hetao Man” lived in this area.

The Wuding River also has a solemn and tragic history. As it borders the Western Xia, it became a strategic battleground in ancient times. Its tragic past is reflected in poetry throughout the dynasties. The famous “Song of the Frontier” by Tang Dynasty poet Chen Tao is a representative work on this theme: “Swearing to sweep the Xiongnu without care for life, five thousand silken-armored warriors perished in the dust of war; alas, the bones by the Wuding River, still the dream beloveds of spring chambers.”　

The Wuding River has finally been allowed to unfold its beauty. After the founding of New China, people renovated and embellished the Wuding River. They carried out watershed management, built hydroelectric stations, and developed high-yield farmland. Now, the entire Wuding River basin is filled with peach blossoms and willows, clear waters reflecting the sun, lush forests and abundant grain, fragrant in all seasons, earning it the name “Little Jiangnan Beyond the Great Wall.”

Indeed, it lies amid high plateaus and vast deserts, yet it can grow rice and is also the top apple production base in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The Wuding River, the pearl of Ordos.