Ar Horqin Nature Reserve

Ar Horqin Nature Reserve

The Ar Horqin Wetland, a nature reserve at the league level in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region located in Chifeng, has seen significant recovery of its rivers, lakes, and marshlands after several years of effective conservation and management. The wetland has become a “paradise” for birds, and now over 150 species of rare birds inhabit and breed here.

The grassland of the Ar Horqin Nature Reserve is quite typical, representing a unique type of sandy grassland. Unlike the vast, flat, and seemingly endless grasslands of Inner Mongolia, it is more varied and diverse in its beauty. Between two bodies of water, or the distance between two hills, one hollow fills with green, another with blue. The green stretches to the mountaintop before seeming to abruptly halt; cross over the hills, and yet another expanse of lush green fields comes into view. On this ever-surprising grassland where every turn reveals new scenery, the green of life spreads like an endless poem or a song that never ends, melodiously diffusing through the air. The resonant, heartfelt, and stirring long tunes of the Mongolian people, rich with ethnic flavor, have lived on and been passed down through generations on these plains.

Since ancient times, the Ar Horqin Nature Reserve has been a scenic destination for travel and hunting, blessed with clear mountains, beautiful waters, birdsong, and fragrant flowers. It was once the nomadic land of the Khitan people during the Sui and Tang dynasties, who followed the water and grass. In the Ming Dynasty, the Ar Horqin tribe led by Kundulen Daiqing, who roamed the areas around the Erguna River, Hailar River, and Hulun Lake, settled here, giving the area its name—Ar Horqin, meaning “Northern Archers.” The Ar Horqin Grassland thus got its name. Ancient visitors praised this place as a land of plenty, where “in June, camel hair blankets the ground, as if willow catkins were falling from the spring wind.”

The Ar Horqin Grassland in spring is fresh and beautiful. After the drizzling spring rain, the mountains become greener, the waters bluer, vividly lush and dripping with vitality. The entire grassland is enveloped in a misty haze, hazy to the eyes yet solid underfoot. Galloping on horseback feels like flying like a bird, as if you can hear the cheerful accompaniment of the green grass. When winter comes, a heavy snowfall covers the distant mountains and nearby trees in pure white, and the vast grassland seems boundless. Standing in the ice and snow is like stepping into a dreamlike fairy tale world. In the Ar Horqin Nature Reserve, spring brings melting snow and flocks of migratory birds—geese flying and cranes dancing, their joyful calls unceasing; summer brings clear mountains and beautiful waters, birdsong and floral scents, with flowers of all colors vying in beauty; autumn presents rippling waters, leisurely grazing grass, and herds of cattle and sheep revealed as the wind blows the grass low; winter freezes the rivers and lakes, cloaking the land in silvery white, showcasing the captivating charm of northern China. The Ar Horqin Nature Reserve combines the complexity, diversity, and typicality of wetland natural landscapes, and its tourism resources hold extremely high aesthetic and scientific value.

The beauty of the Ar Horqin Sandy Land lies in the fact that although it is a sandy area, it contains water, birds, and greenery within the sand—not monotonous, nor repetitive. Clusters of yellow willows, slopes covered with Caragana, and sand sagebrush and Artemisia halodendron that spring up like mushrooms after rain add varying degrees of vibrancy, bringing boundless vitality to the sandy land. In spring, the Caragana blossoms cover the ground, red as fire, pink as rosy clouds; in autumn, the Ephedra plants bear abundant, tempting red fruits, spreading across the hills. … The landscape of the Ar Horqin Sandy Land offers a unique charm, fascinating and unforgettable. It is understood that the Ar Horqin Wetland is a comprehensive nature reserve primarily aimed at protecting the diverse ecosystems of the northern Horqin Sandy Grassland, woodland, rivers, lakes, and marsh-type wetlands, as well as rare birds. It serves as an ecological barrier in the northern part of the Horqin Sandy Area. Its vast size is relatively rare in the Inner Mongolia region. Due to the noticeable improvement in environmental quality here, the variety and number of birds inhabiting the area have greatly increased.