Gongger Grassland

Qingshan Ice Mortar Group

The Qingshan Ice Mortar Group Nature Reserve is located in the eastern part of Hexigten Banner, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, 25 kilometers from Jingpeng Town, the seat of the banner government. The reserve is situated in Dahaochai Village, Xinjing Township. It borders Guandongche Village to the east, Shunyilong Village to the west, the northern bank of the Xilamulun River to the south, and Mongolianyingzi Village to the north. Its geographical coordinates are: 117°46′ east longitude, 43°15′ north latitude, with a total area of 9,200 hectares.

The Qingshan Nature Reserve is a geological heritage-type nature reserve primarily aimed at protecting the ice mortar group.

The Qingshan Nature Reserve is located on the Qingshan mountain massif at an altitude of 1,574 meters. Various types of ice mortars are distributed across the mountaintop, most of which are circular, near-circular, oval, or irregular in shape on the plane. Some resemble gourds, some plum blossoms, and others melon seeds. Generally, the openings of the ice mortars are slightly smaller, while the middle and lower parts are larger, with bottoms that are mostly flat or slightly concave like a pot. Their shapes include “mortar-like,” “plate-like,” “basin-like,” and “spoon-like,” essentially covering all possibilities. Among them, the deeper ice mortars often feature small openings, large bodies, and flat bottoms. The upper edges of the openings may have notches (or gaps), which vary in size, depth, and shallowness. Typically, the openings are about 0.3–2 meters wide and 0.1–2 meters deep. The largest has a diameter of 10.5 meters and is 4.5 meters deep; the smallest are only a few centimeters, about the size of a regular button. According to surveys, within an area of less than 2 square kilometers, there are over 1,000 ice mortars of varying sizes. Some ice mortars are spotlessly clean, with no residual or filling materials, but many are filled with wind-blown yellow soil, overgrown with flowers, grass, or trees and shrubs, forming “natural potted landscapes” of various sizes. These are set atop the hard, flat granite ridges, creating a spectacular sight that evokes a strong sense of wonder and mystery.

The local community has a strong conservation ethic, and the preservation of this large-scale natural relic has exceeded the expectations of experts. Given its great age, the natural relic from that distant era remains clearly visible to the world today, and the vegetation on the mountain is also very well protected, with almost no soil erosion. Wild apricot trees, Korean pines, ancient cypresses, and mountain poplars grow vigorously, playing a special role in maintaining the full appearance of the natural relic over the long term.

It has been identified that there are 356 species of wild vascular plants from 217 genera and 66 families within the reserve, including 1 nationally protected plant species, namely Manchurian walnut (Juglans mandshurica Maxim), and 7 nationally protected medicinal plant species. (See Table 1 for details)

The Qingshan Nature Reserve in Hexigten Banner is a geological heritage-type nature reserve primarily focused on protecting the ice mortar group. After on-site investigations by numerous experts and scholars from institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Geological Research Institute, Peking University, and the China Geological Museum, it has been concluded that the ice mortars distributed in this area are exceptionally rare both domestically and internationally, and can be called a “world wonder.” It is currently the largest discovered ice mortar group. On the northern side of Qingshan, there are cirques and glacially eroded depressions, and on the eastern and western sides of Qingshan, there are two U-shaped valleys, indicating that the Greater Khingan region indeed developed extensive glaciers over multiple periods. This has high scientific research value, serving as a rare piece of evidence and an important historical witness to global paleoclimate, paleoenvironment, and paleogeological changes.

The reserve attracts many domestic and international experts, scholars, and nature-loving tourists with its unique natural landscape for research, visits, and tourism. The scenery here leaves a profound impression on every visitor. The reserve serves as an important base for scientific research and is also an ideal location for eco-tourism development. Scenic views are found everywhere here, offering visitors a chance to experience the boundless charm of nature.

Here, the oddly shaped peaks and rocks create a stunningly beautiful landscape with a divine craftsmanship that perfectly combines form and spirit, leaving people in awe. It offers a poetic and picturesque feeling. On the northern side of the reserve, shaded by lush green trees and dotted with peculiar rocks, standing atop the mountain allows you to take in the full view of the reserve. The winding Xilamulun River meanders gracefully from west to east at the foot of the mountain, adding even more beauty to Qingshan.

The grasslands on the mountaintop, the Mountain God Temple, the perilous rocks, hanging rocks, eagle-beak rocks, and the densely distributed ice mortar group make it an even better destination for tourism. It is believed that in the near future, this place will become a high-level nature reserve integrating eco-tourism, education, and publicity.

The Qingshan Nature Reserve is part of the foothills of the Greater Khingan Mountains, located in the southwestern part of the Neo-Cathaysian structural belt and the northern edge of the Yinshan Complex Structural Belt. The geological structure is complex, and the exposed strata throughout the area mainly consist of Mesozoic Jurassic and Cenozoic Tertiary volcanic rock series, followed by Paleozoic Permian, Silurian, and Devonian systems. The rock layers run east-west, with an inclination angle of 60°–80°. The upper lithology consists of biotite quartz schist and muscovite quartz schist interbedded with thin slate layers, while the lower part is composed of hornblende plagioclase gneiss interbedded with marble, with a thickness of about one thousand meters. The mountain is relatively high, with an average altitude of over 1,000 meters and a highest peak of 1,574 meters. The shady slopes of the mountain are mainly covered with patchy distributions of birch forests, mountain poplar forests, Mongolian oak forests, or mixed forests, while the lower areas are dominated by mountain crabapple forests along with riverside wetlands. The sunny slopes are widely covered with sparse forest vegetation such as hazelnut, large-fruited elm, and Mongolian oak. The rocky slopes are mainly populated with Siberian apricot, wormwood, and ironweed.

The area has a mid-temperate continental monsoon climate. Due to its vast territory, undulating mountains, and significant elevation differences, the climate is complex, with sayings like “no rain over the mountain, no hail over the road.” Overall, the characteristics include long, cold winters, short, cool summers, large daily temperature variations, and significant differences in frost-free periods. Due to the high altitude, limited water sources, and strong atmospheric transparency, the area enjoys abundant light energy resources. The annual sunshine duration ranges from 2,700 to 2,950 hours, with a sunshine percentage of 62–65%.

The reserve belongs to a temperate-cool semi-arid agricultural climate zone. The annual average temperature ranges between 2–5°C, with the coldest January averaging between -14°C and -18°C.

Jingpeng Town: Located in Hexigten Banner, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Jingpeng Town is the seat of the banner’s Party Committee and People’s Government, serving as the political, economic, cultural, communication, information, and transportation hub of the entire banner. The town covers a total area of 348 square kilometers, including 36 square kilometers of urban area and 12 square kilometers of urban construction area. It governs 4 village committees, 32 natural villager groups, 7 neighborhood committees, 52 resident groups, with a total population of 43,243 (14,307 households). The town has 32 individually-owned private enterprises, 2,016 various individual businesses, and 3,814 employees... More detailed information about Jingpeng Town++