Chifeng Daqing Mountain

Chifeng Daqing Mountain

I attended a paper seminar and made a trip to Chifeng, the northernmost city I’ve ever been to. I had imagined that Chifeng was nothing but sandy grassland, but when I got there, I discovered the Keshiketeng Global Geopark, which combines ancient volcanic relics, sandy land, lakes, grasslands, forests, mountains, and hot springs all in one.

On the first day, we visited Daqing Mountain, a highland left behind by glaciers, featuring mainly stone forests and potholes. Daqing Mountain stands over 1,500 meters above sea level, with an overall elevation difference of less than 400 meters. As the cable car ascended, the surrounding peaks were layered and the rocks piled up magnificently, like a painting. Some rocks resembled human figures, others animals, all vividly shaped and naturally formed. After getting off the cable car, we walked up step by step, ascending a thousand stone steps before the view suddenly opened up. At the top of Daqing Mountain lies a flat and expansive grassy meadow, scattered with exposed granite stone forests that are dotted all over like stars. The soft grass contrasts with the hard rocks, and in the distance are lush birch forests. Against the blue sky and white clouds, the scene is absolutely wonderful. It was a bit warm while climbing, but at the summit, a cool breeze blew, instantly bringing a chill. Looking down from above, terraced fields stretch out, villages dot the landscape, and forest networks spread out—the natural scenery on the mountain blends seamlessly with the man-made sights below. Standing here, it felt as if I were between heaven and earth.

The most famous feature of Daqing Mountain is its pothole cluster. I don’t know much about geology, let alone how ice could drill so many “holes” into solid rock—some look like pots, some like bowls. Even after reading the explanations, I only understood a little and suddenly found myself envying geologists, who can vividly describe the ever-changing, dramatic transformations of nature. In contrast, us laypeople prefer to imagine these oddly-shaped rocks in our own way, giving them the most beautiful names we can think of: “Eternal Couple,” “Deep Mother-Son Bond,” “Eagle Soaring High”... I simply lay down on the grass, gazed at the drifting clouds, breathed in the fresh breeze, admired the towering strange rocks, pondered my thoughts, felt my heart stirred, and became intoxicated under this blue sky and green land.

After descending the mountain, the bus took us through the Keshiketeng Grassland. Outside the window, the vast grassland stretched out flat like a green carpet, as if it were as wide as the sky itself. In the sunset, flocks of cattle and sheep scattered across the grassland slowly made their way home. A red sun was nearing the horizon, casting shimmering golden light onto the green meadow. After sunset, tranquility would surely return. The bus stopped at a place called “Reshui,” a famous hot spring resort. We soaked in a pool filled with mineral-rich and trace-element-rich hot spring water, relieving the fatigue of a day’s travel.