ChunKun Mountain

ChunKun Mountain

ChunKun Mountain is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Summer Resort – ChunKun Mountain

ChunKun Mountain is located 56 kilometers east of the county town, covering an area of 30 square kilometers. It is the largest alpine meadow grassland in the central and western part of the autonomous region, offering the advantages of summer grasslands, winter snowscapes, and year-round hot springs. Its unique landform is found in only four places across Asia. The main peak, Hongqi Peak, stands at an elevation of 2,340 meters, making it the highest point in Baotou City. The mountain features ten distinctive scenic spots: from Wanglin Wangyou Peak, you’ll feel a sudden sense of openness and transcendence; in the Baicao Garden, you can listen to the symphony of insects; at Qianfeng Yunying, you can quietly watch the drifting clouds. Resting in the ancient birch forest, lingering beside the magical stone cave, or picking fragrant mushrooms in Mushroom Bay will all allow you to experience the uniqueness and magic of ChunKun Mountain’s grasslands. Other highlights include Hongqi Peak, Qixin Slope, Wanshan Liulan, and Youhe Huancai...

The landforms of ChunKun Mountain are quite unique. Each ridge has both sunny and shady sides: the sunny slopes feature rugged rocks and steep cliffs, while the shady ones boast fertile soil and lush vegetation. ChunKun Mountain offers scenic views in all seasons—spring is a world of vitality, summer a cool paradise, autumn a colorful wonderland, and winter a snowy dreamscape, all breathtakingly beautiful.

Around the third day of the third lunar month and during the Qingming Festival each year, the sunny slopes of ChunKun Mountain’s valleys are covered with clusters of wild peach blossoms in pure white, pink, and rose-red, adorning the cliffs in vibrant hues. Various wild plants sprout from the earth, carrying the fresh, rustic fragrance of nature, showcasing their vitality and charm and dressing the hillsides in vivid green.

When midsummer arrives, ChunKun Mountain transforms into another earthly paradise. The grassy slopes are lush and cool, birds chirp melodiously, and wildflowers such as golden bell flowers, mountain dahlias, corn poppies, and balsams dot the landscape. The rich, natural floral scents drift on the breeze, while butterflies flutter among the blossoms. White clouds in the sky contrast beautifully with sheep on the ground, creating a unique grassland scene. Ascending Hongqi Peak, you can gaze south to the shimmering Yellow River, west to the winding and majestic Qin Great Wall, north to the boundless grasslands and the China-Mongolia border gate, and east to the layered, towering mountain ranges. Watching the sunrise, sunset, and drifting clouds fills the heart with joy and brings an unprecedented sense of clarity. Descending eastward along the mountain stream, you’ll enter the magical natural site—Shidonggou, named for the large and small natural caves within the valley. The largest cave lies beneath a cliff deep in the gorge, spanning over ten feet wide and more than twenty feet deep. It is a horizontal cave, with mountain spring water trickling below the entrance, surrounded by lush grass, resembling the open mouth of a resting tiger. Another cave is located in a branch of Shidonggou, with an entrance just over a foot wide. This vertical cave emits a chilly draft from its unfathomable depths. If you toss a stone into it, you can hear the echoing thuds for nearly a minute. Among the wild grasses halfway up the slope, the rich aroma of wild leeks wafts through the air, with clusters of them growing everywhere. There are also dozens of types of rare wild medicinal herbs such as red ginseng, gentian, bupleurum, licorice, rhubarb, saposhnikovia, and cyrtomium, as well as specialties like wild white mushrooms and mountain tea. In the valley, you can see stretches of pristine birch, elm, and wild poplar forests. The sounds of tinkling mountain springs and melodious birdsong fill your ears, while the ground is covered in wild grasses and blooming flowers. Occasionally, wild rabbits, roe deer, and squirrels dart through the underbrush. A variety of wild fruits such as oil bottles, flour fruits, and sour berries are ready for the picking. It’s a natural “summer resort.”

By autumn, ChunKun Mountain turns golden with abundant fruit, becoming a natural paradise for wildlife such as pheasants, partridges, rabbits, roe deer, and foxes.

In winter, when the mountain is blanketed in snow, ChunKun Mountain takes on the enchanting beauty of a northern winter wonderland. Flocks of sparrows, thrushes, larks, and pheasants roam leisurely across the snowy terrain. The vast slopes become excellent ski grounds for enthusiasts, offering a thrilling sense of returning to nature as you glide across the open fields.

Located five kilometers west of ChunKun Mountain, Zanzishi Hot Spring features gurgling waters that flow year-round, crystal clear to the bottom, with green grass swaying gently even in the cold winter. According to research, the spring water maintains a temperature of 27°C, qualifying it as a standard hot spring. It contains various trace elements beneficial to health, such as lithium, zinc, and iron, and is highly effective in treating multiple ailments. On the rocky cliffs near the hot spring, many carved inscriptions and petroglyphs in diverse forms can be found. Initial studies identify three types of scripts: Tibetan, Manchu, and Sanskrit, all inscribed with the phrase “Om Mani Padme Hum.” Halfway up the mountain lies the site of an ancient temple, which has now been restored. Local folklore includes many mystical legends: the temple at Zanzishi was an outpost of Guangjue Temple (Wudang Monastery) and served as one of the bases for tax collection, offerings, and organizing Buddhist ceremonies. Around the fourth lunar month each year, villagers and pilgrims from far and wide come to fulfill vows. It is said that these inscriptions were made by those whose prayers were answered, as a way to give thanks.

ChunKun Mountain is the source of water, the homeland of clouds, the kingdom of flowers, the ocean of forests, and the paradise of flora and fauna. Visiting ChunKun Mountain—picking mountain tea, gathering wild mushrooms, enjoying farm-style meals, and dancing to Mongolian tunes—is endlessly delightful. Step into ChunKun Mountain and return to nature.