Bayinchanghoge Grassland

　　Bayinchanghoge Grassland covers an area of about 30 square kilometers and is a largely unspoiled, primitive meadow. It was once a forbidden area for the mausoleum of Genghis Khan. The Bayinchanghoge River, which encircles the mausoleum of "the Great Conqueror" Genghis Khan, nourishes the beautiful grasslands on both sides.

　　On March 18th every year, worshippers gather from all over Ordos at the sacrificial campsite in Bayinchanghoge Grassland to participate in the grand Chagan Sulde Festival held on March 21st. During this period, pilgrims from across the Mongolian region flock to Ikh Khorig, and many merchants also come, bringing gold, silver, jewelry, silk fabrics, brick tea, and daily necessities favored by the Mongols to join in the Chagan Sulde Festival. Bayinchanghoge Grassland becomes dotted with yurts and felt tents, filled with the sounds of laughter and galloping horses. The usually tranquil grassland transforms into a bustling, spectacular scene.

　　After the completion of the Genghis Khan Mausoleum, although the sacrificial ceremonies no longer take place on Bayinchanghoge Grassland, the annual grand Naadam Festival is still held here.

　　In 1987, a palace was built at the western end of Bayinchanghoge Grassland, adding a new attraction to the area. Ancient royal "Zhuoma Banquets" (also known as Zhama Banquets) are frequently held here, showcasing traditional culture to visitors.

　　The Darhad herders living around the Genghis Khan Mausoleum have set up numerous yurts around the Bayinchanghoge meadow, offering visitors an immersive experience of nomadic life and activities such as horse riding, archery, and wrestling.

　　Bayinchanghoge Grassland boasts lush trees, abundant water and grass, grazing livestock, and galloping steeds, preserving the vast features of the grasslands. From afar, the yurts look like white clouds drifting across the blue sky. The entire grassland exudes the fragrance of milk, making it truly enchanting. Distant guests are welcomed in pristine white yurts to enjoy milk tea and hand-held lamb, listen to the melodious and captivating Ordos folk songs sung by the herders, ride majestic horses freely across the grasslands, immerse themselves in the pastoral ambiance, witness ancient customs, and live like true nomads. The beautiful and heartfelt Bayinchanghoge Grassland leaves a lasting impression that’s hard to forget.

　　The stunning scenery of Bayinchanghoge Grassland and the ancient folklore of the Darhad people make the imperial mausoleum on the grasslands—the Genghis Khan Mausoleum—even more majestic and magnificent.

　　Chagan Sulde, in Mongolian, means “White Herd.” There are several legends in Ordos about the origin of the Chagan Sulde Festival. One says: When Genghis Khan had just turned fifty, he suddenly fell seriously ill, but recovered two months later. He believed this ended an ominous 81-day period, so on March 21st, he led a multitude of livestock, used the milk of ninety-nine white mares to sprinkle toward the ninety-nine heavens, and sanctified the “Perfect White Steed” as the divine horse of the Jade Emperor. Another legend says: In the spring of the year Genghis Khan turned fifty, a rare drought struck. He believed that the third lunar month was an unlucky, inauspicious time and needed to be turned into good fortune. So he sprinkled the milk of ninety-nine white mares toward the heavens, draped a white horse in white satin, sanctified it, and enshrined it as the symbol of the “White Herd.”

　　The "Ten Blessings Classic White History," written during the Yuan Dynasty, also clearly records: “Genghis Khan used ninety-nine mares to sprinkle fresh milk in sacrifice.”

　　The historical text "Crystal Bead" also states: “In the Year of Xinwei, when Genghis Khan was fifty years old and based by the Kerulen River, he offered the first milk of his precious steed in sacrifice to the supreme heavens, established this act as law, and decreed it to be practiced throughout Mongolia.”