Ulanqab Rock Art

Ulanqab Rock Art

Ulanqab rock art is distributed across various regions of the Ulanqab League. It stretches from Siziwang Banner in the east to the western part of Urad Middle Banner, with the most concentrated distribution found at Tui-Miao in Chaganjiaobao Sumu of Darhan Muminggan Joint Banner, Shahe'n and Deli Hada in Ducong Obo Sumu, Nanji Bandeng in Mandula Sumu, Chanfanhure in Xinbaolige Sumu, Urad Middle Banner, and the northeastern section around Ruogeqige Mountain.

Grassland rock art is a true reflection of the ancient people’s lives, reproduction, production activities, thoughts, beliefs, totems, and scripts throughout their long historical development. It also serves as historical evidence of human societal progress and changes in the natural environment. According to historians, the grassland rock art within the territory of Ulanqab City was first created over ten thousand years ago, with the most recent pieces dating back several hundred years.

Grassland rock art is mainly distributed on the slopes of a terrace about 50 kilometers northwest of Weijing Sumu in Siziwang Banner, at Qaganhashatu. The slope has an inclination of around 40 degrees. About thirty to forty meters down the slope from the rocks bearing the art lies a seasonal river running from north to south. Scattered across this approximately 1×1 km slope are rocks of varying heights. The rocks are grayish-white in color, somewhat coarse in texture, but the surfaces are relatively smooth—as if nature specially prepared these natural canvases for ancient artists to showcase their talents. The content of the rock art consists entirely of hoof prints of odd-toed ungulates. Additionally, many rock art pieces have been discovered on the hills of Sanjingquan Village in Sanjingquan Township, Qayouhou Banner, featuring ibexes, running sheep, and symbols.

The discovery of these rock paintings recreates the richness and mystery of ancient grassland nomadic culture and is well worth exploring and viewing.

Based on the compositional style, subject matter, production methods, and degree of natural erosion, Ulanqab rock art can be divided into five periods.

The earliest works are from primitive clan tribes in ancient times—this was the golden age of rock art, beginning around 2000 BC. At that time, the area was still a forest-grassland landscape, and the hunting-based clans living here began carving into the mountains. The images mostly depict wild animals, human-faced figures, wild-style vigorous dances, and two-wheeled carts with a single shaft. The most prominent feature of these images is their strong iconicity. Though varying in complexity and form, they are all realistic depictions.

The second period consists of works by the northern Di and Xiongnu peoples, dating from the Warring States period to the Han Dynasty. The animal images are mostly domesticated livestock. Among them, a particularly interesting depiction is carved on the grasslands northeast of Bairin Temple: two horse shapes, one with a bird-like beak, a dancer with a tasseled tail, as well as animal hoof prints and ibex shapes. The forms are vivid and lifelike, showcasing the artist’s rich imagination and skilled carving techniques.

The third period features works by the Xianbei and Turkic peoples of northern China, characterized mainly by various animal patterns, including riders, tricolored horses, camels, and some highly standardized, repeatedly appearing symbols resembling Turkic script letters.

The fourth period includes works by Han Chinese travelers during the Yuan Dynasty in Datong City and the Deyu Road (around the Darhan Muminggan Banner in Inner Mongolia). These depict deities, officials, and tiger shapes. By this time, rock art had entered its final phase—the works became crude and hasty, with rough techniques, having lost the simple, expressive, and exaggerated artistic characteristics of ancient rock art.

There are also more recent Mongolian carvings of the six-syllable mantra in Mongolian and Tibetan, which can be considered works of the fifth period. The rock art carved by hunters and nomads over the centuries on the stone cliffs of the Ulanqab grasslands not only accurately records the life scenes of various nomadic peoples from as early as over four thousand years ago to modern times, but also offers a glimpse into the transformations experienced by the grassland peoples. It is a painted scroll reflecting the civilization of the various ethnic groups on the Inner Mongolian grasslands.

The rock art covers a wide range of subjects and rich content, including wild animals, birds, livestock, hunting, herding, human footprints, carts, dancing, animal hoof prints, the twelve zodiac signs, tooth-shaped patterns, animal pens, symbols, human face images, clouds, the sun, and more. Among these, livestock and herding are the most frequently depicted, reflecting the life of northern nomadic peoples. Research shows that these rock art pieces were created by ancient peoples over many years. Among them, those from the Neolithic Age depict carts, herding, riders, and animals. Rock art from the Northern Dynasties is mostly patterned, stylized, and abstract, along with symbols closely resembling ancient Turkic script letters. There are also depictions of spears, pitchforks, and animal patterns. Works from the Sui, Tang, Yuan, and Qing Dynasties include deities, standing portraits of civil officials, and tigers. The content of the murals reflects the social life, customs, and ideologies of the northern nomadic peoples and represents extremely primitive and unadorned painting artworks.

The rock art is primarily the work of nomads from the Bronze Age, created by various ethnic groups such as primitive tribes, followed by the Xiongnu, Turks, Mongols, and Han Chinese. Among these, Turkic rock art is particularly distinctive. Why the ancestors chose to create paintings on rocks—and why these have remained intact despite wind and sun exposure—remains a mystery. Moreover, most rock art is located in areas where northern nomadic peoples lived. Visitors to these sites, while admiring the vast desert grasslands, may feel a sense of grandeur, and through the rock art, can gain a full picture of the social life of nomadic peoples. The nuanced charm of these artworks can only truly be appreciated by experiencing the site in person.