Snuff Bottle Snuff bottles are small, mostly flat-round, gently sloped-shouldered, wide-bottomed, and narrow-necked containers designed to hold snuff. Every man, woman, and child in Ordos owns one, as it is an essential item for social etiquette. As a result, the craft of snuff bottle-making is highly developed in pastoral areas, utilizing a variety of materials including agate, crystal, silver, jade, stone, porcelain, and wood. There are two main craftsmanship styles: those with hand-painted interiors and those with carved exteriors. …
The morin khuur, a specialty of Inner Mongolia, is the most representative musical instrument of the Mongolian people and a unique local specialty. In Mongolian, it is called "chuur." The body of the instrument is made of wood, about one meter in length, with two strings. The resonator is trapezoidal. Its sound is mellow, deep, and soft, with relatively low volume. Legend has it that a herdsman, grieving over the death of his young horse, used...
Cucumbers have a cool and slightly acidic nature, capable of clearing heat and promoting urination. They contain carbohydrates and various amino acids, carotene, vitamins B and C, as well as minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. The vitamin B content is twice that of watermelon, and the vitamin C content is five times higher than that of watermelon. They help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and offer benefits such as weight loss and skin beautification. They are best consumed raw…
The kernels are rich in protein, fat, vitamins, starch, and other nutrients, making them a premium ingredient commonly used in various pastries, mooncakes, youcha noodles, and other foods. The small “Dingxinbai” variety produced in Tongliao features plump and full kernels, while the large black-edged red-heart seeds from Bayan League are notable for their large size and high oil content. Black melon seeds can…
Cistanche, a member of the Orobanchaceae family and an endangered species, is also known as Daren, Cunren, Congrong, and Chagan Gaoya (in Mongolian). It is a parasitic plant that grows on the roots of desert trees such as Haloxylon and Tamarix, with low requirements for soil and moisture, making it a promising industry. Distributed across Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Gansu, and Xinjiang, it has long been known as the "Desert Ginseng"...
Haibowan District is located in the western part of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the northeastern part of Wuhai City. It governs six subdistricts (Binhe, Xinhua Street, Xinhua West Street, Fenghuangling Street, Haibei Street, and Kabuqi) and one town (Qianlishan). Tuanjie New Village is characterized by its fruits and vegetables industry. In recent years, with the industry as its driving force, Tuanjie New Village has actively introduced...
Braised Beef Triplet in Hot Pot is a signature dish from Wuhai. It is based on slow-braised oxtail, enhanced with sliced beef tendon that has been soaked and prepared, as well as cow penis cut into chrysanthemum-like shapes after soaking. It also includes auxiliary ingredients such as soaked shiitake or button mushrooms. The mixture is seasoned, placed in an alcohol-fired hot pot, covered, and brought to the table. The server then uncovers it. This dish is believed to invigorate qi, strengthen yang, refresh the spirit, dispel cold, beautify the skin, and nourish the complexion.
The appearance of Tu Hai varies from place to place. In some areas, it is a silver belt about two feet long, fixed onto a silk or satin base. The belt is made up of layers of silver flowers inlaid with red coral of various sizes, making it quite heavy—its melted metal could be used to forge two silver bowls. In Ordos, Tu Hai is a flat piece made of silver or copper, wider at the top and rounder at the bottom...
The Hetao Plain, blessed with uniquely favorable soil, climate, and irrigation from the Yellow River, has become a distinctive domestic base for high-quality wheat cultivation. The "Hetao Snowflake Flour" processed here is highly favored by consumers for its fine texture and excellent stability. …
The cultivation of grapes in Ulanqab City began in the 1960s, when several varieties such as Thompson Seedless and Longyan were introduced for trial planting. After successful introduction, a number of production gardens were established, and grape growing also developed in residential courtyards. Currently, the city’s grape planting area exceeds 2,100 hectares, with over 100 high-quality varieties introduced. The municipal Party committee and…
Lace, a traditional folk handicraft, has a history of several hundred years in Guangrao County. The craft involves six sets of stitching techniques: round petals, pointed petals, buttonhole stitch, eyelet stitch, running stem, and wire picking. Its varieties are divided into three major categories: inset panels, fully embroidered pieces, and small inset items, with hundreds of patterns and nearly a thousand specifications. Among them, the Qingzhou-style large lace set and Qingzhou-style fully embroidered large lace set are especially renowned. The product features delicate embroidery, beautiful designs, elegant colors, and a soft texture, earning it the title "King of Embroidered Lace." It has been rated as a provincial-quality product for 12 consecutive years and is sold in over ten countries including the United States, Japan, and Italy.
The cultivation of winter jujubes in Guangrao has a history of over a thousand years, but it had long been limited to home gardens. In recent years, through the selection of superior varieties and grafting techniques, high-quality Guangrao winter jujubes have been developed and rapidly propagated and promoted. They are now widely planted in towns such as Dingzhuang, Matou, and Xiliuqiao, covering a planting area of over 20,000 mu, with an annual production of winter jujubes…
Bitter apricot kernels are the seeds of wild apricots. They are a traditional Chinese export commodity. With a bitter taste, they contain 50% fat oil, as well as amygdalin and emulsin, which can be used to produce almond oil (fat oil) and volatile almond oil (benzaldehyde). Medically, they help relieve coughs and regulate qi, making them effective in treating cold-induced coughs, asthma, sore throat, and intestinal dryness...
Deer antler, a precious traditional Chinese medicine, is the unossified young horn of a male sika deer or red deer. It is warm in nature and sweet-salty in taste. Its functions include nourishing essence, supporting kidney yang, and strengthening bones and tendons. It is primarily used to treat conditions such as impotence, nocturnal emission, and weakness in the lower back and knees. Deer antler contains hormone-like substances, bone tissue, gelatin, protein, as well as minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. It is mainly produced in Hulunbuir League...
When the tender antlers of a stag have not yet hardened into bone, are still covered in velvet, and contain blood, they are called deer antler. It is a valuable traditional Chinese medicine used as a tonic to strengthen the body, and is effective for treating conditions such as weakness and neurasthenia. This product is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine and is classified as a medium-grade herb in the "Shennong Bencao Jing" (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica). There are now many types and specifications available on the market. Depending on the species of the original animal, it is divided into flower deer antler...
Shiitake mushroom mycelium “The growth of shiitake mushroom mycelium requires a slightly acidic environment. The mycelium can grow within a pH range of 3 to 7, with the optimal level around pH 4.5. When cultivating shiitake mushrooms, the site should not be too alkaline. When spraying water, attention must be paid to the quality of the water used for soaking the mushrooms; to prevent pests and diseases, it is best to avoid using alkaline agents.” At a shiitake mushroom greenhouse in Taidong Subdistrict, Tuquan County…
Taihe Millet is produced within the administrative regions of four townships in Tuquan County, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region: Tuquan Town, Liuhu Town, Xuetian Township, and Taiping Township. Defined in the "Report on Delimiting the Geographic Indication Product Protection Area of 'Taihe Millet'" issued by the People’s Government of Tuquan County, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (Document No. Tu Zheng Fa [2011] 82). Produced by... Taihe Rice Industry Co., Ltd. of Tuquan County...
Badger oil is processed and refined from the fat of the badger, an animal of the weasel family. Also known as badger fat oil, it has medicinal value, with a neutral nature and a sweet-sour taste. It functions to clear heat and detoxify, reduce swelling and relieve pain, and moisten the intestines to relieve constipation. It is primarily used to treat burns, scalds, frostbite, scabies, hemorrhoids, and constipation. It is produced in Hulunbuir League, Hinggan League, Tongliao City, Chifeng City, …
The main processes include soaking, frying, and grinding. Crispy fried rice can be eaten with milk tea or milk, or mixed with butter and chopped fat. Hard fried rice is used to make meat porridge and dry rice. (Hohhot)…
Dairy products: During the peak milking season, cows are milked twice a day, while goats (mainly dairy goats) are milked once. In the dry forage season, cows are milked only once at noon, and goats are no longer milked. Freshly milked milk is called raw or fresh milk, which can be consumed directly, used to soak fried rice, or made into milk tea. Pour the fresh milk into a clean container; in summer, place it in a cool spot, and in winter, place it...