Xilingol Grassland

Xilingol Grassland

The Xilingol League, with its long-standing traditional history, was historically composed of five tribes from east to west: the Ujimqin, Khorchin, Abaga, Abga, and Sunite tribes. In 1958, the Xilingol League and the Chahar League merged to form the current Xilingol League, and the Chahar tribe also became part of the Xilingol Grassland. Among them, the Chahar tribe was the dwelling tribe of the Golden Family of Mongol Khans starting from Genghis Khan, while the Abga tribe were descendants and subjects of Genghis Khan’s brother, Beligutai. They have preserved intact the nomadic culture and customs of the grasslands, including attire, diet, dwellings, songs and dances, marriage, etiquette, and festivals, all of which hold significant importance and representativeness in the historical and cultural heritage of the entire Mongolian people. For example, Zhenglan Banner is renowned for its superior dairy processing, which became tribute to emperors throughout history; the Mongolian language of Zhenglan Banner was designated as the standard pronunciation of modern Mongolian, i.e., the common Mongolian language. This alone illustrates the central position of the Xilingol Grassland in Mongolian historical culture. Here you can find the ancient Qin-Yan-Jin Great Wall that stretches across the central part of the grassland, as well as the world-famous ruins of the Yuan Dynasty’s Shangdu. There are also the elegant and solemn Honggor Petroglyphs and the Xuanshipo and Limafeng sites left by the five northern military expeditions of the Ming Emperor Chengzu. One of Inner Mongolia’s four great temples, Beizi Temple, along with the sacred site Baiyinchagan Obo, integrates religion with Mongolian culture. The world-renowned “Hometown of Dinosaurs,” the Tongguor Basin, evokes the timeless roar of prehistoric times. The area boasts both the vast, serene beauty of boundless landscapes and the dynamic beauty of seeing cattle and sheep beneath swaying grass. There is also the harmonious beauty of humans and nature, with blue skies, white clouds, lush green grass, and herders galloping on horseback. The tourism resources of the Xilingol Grassland are extremely rich, especially known for its abundant grassland tourism resources and complete variety of grassland types, including meadow steppe, typical steppe, semi-desert steppe, and sandy steppe, with over 1,200 species of plants on the ground. Within its territory lies the Xilingol Grassland Nature Reserve, a national-level grassland nature reserve listed in UNESCO’s International Biosphere Network. When summer arrives, the enchanting Ujimqin meadow steppe becomes a sea of green, where noble peonies and beautiful mountain dahlias compete in splendor, white clouds drift across the endless blue sky, herders ride horses, cattle and sheep roam, and the smoke from Mongolian yurts and the slow-moving wooden carts create a scene that fills visitors immersed in nature with joy and wonder. The flowery Tügentyn Shil Typical Grassland recreates the classic scene of “seeing cattle and sheep when the wind blows the grass low,” while the nine-bend, eighteen-curve Xilin River resembles a white hada (prayer scarf) fallen upon the grassland, sure to make you linger and never want to leave. When you step into this magical land, you can experience the history and culture of the northern nomadic peoples.

The beautiful and vast Xilingol Grassland boasts extremely rich tourism resources, especially known for its abundant grassland tourism resources and complete variety of grassland types, including meadow steppe, typical steppe, semi-desert steppe, and sandy steppe, with over 1,200 species of plants on the ground. Within its territory lies the Xilingol Grassland Nature Reserve, a national-level grassland nature reserve listed in UNESCO’s International Biosphere Network. When summer arrives, the enchanting Ujimqin meadow steppe becomes a sea of green, where noble peonies and beautiful mountain dahlias compete in splendor, white clouds drift across the endless blue sky, herders ride horses, cattle and sheep roam, and the smoke from Mongolian yurts and the slow-moving wooden carts create a scene that fills visitors immersed in nature with joy and wonder. The flowery Tügentyn Shil Typical Grassland recreates the classic scene of “seeing cattle and sheep when the wind blows the grass low,” while the nine-bend, eighteen-curve Xilin River resembles a white hada (prayer scarf) fallen upon the grassland, sure to make you linger and never want to leave. When you step into this magical land, you can experience the history and culture of the northern nomadic peoples.

This is the best place to ride horses across the grassland and experience the nomadic lifestyle, as well as the top destination for cycling, motorcycling, or driving off-road vehicles.

The Xilingol League boasts beautiful natural grassland scenery, simple and authentic Mongolian customs, and a unique way of life. It has numerous cultural relics, a long history and culture, and a pleasant summer retreat climate, making it a destination with huge tourism development potential. In recent years, the Xilingol League Party Committee and government have placed high importance on the development of grassland tourism, identifying it as one of three key featured industries. Leveraging these abundant grassland tourism resources, the league has successively developed and promoted a range of tourism activities, including horse riding, camel riding, archery, riding in a wooden cart (leleche), herding sheep, worshiping at obo (sacred stone heaps), Mongolian song and dance performances, traditional costume shows, and experiencing the daily life of herding families. It has also launched themed tours such as the “Xilinhot Natural Grassland Tour,” “Xilingol National Grassland Nature Reserve Ecotourism,” “Ujimqin Grassland Nomadic Tribe Experience Tour,” “Arxan Sacred Spring Health Tour,” “Grassland Herding Tour,” “Xilingol Grassland Folk Culture Tour,” “Grassland Wedding Tour,” “Sand Control Tour,” “Yuan Dynasty Shangdu Ruins Exploration Tour,” “Dinosaur Tomb Tour,” “China-Mongolia Border Tour,” “Grassland Naadam Festival,” “Obo Worship,” as well as special adventure tours like cycling rallies, motorcycle and car off-road races, hunting, ice skating, and skiing. The tourism activities are uniquely distinctive and wonderfully diverse.