In June, Arxan is lush with green mountains and teeming with life. This small northern border town, nourished by sacred springs, greets visitors from all over the country with its fresh and vibrant charm. June 20th is China’s traditional Dragon Boat Festival. Qu Yuan’s “Nine Songs: The Lord in the Clouds” mentions “bathing in orchid-scented water to cleanse the fragrance, donning garments as splendid as flowers.” One of the traditional customs associated with the Dragon Boat Festival is bathing in orchid-scented water, and these time-honored traditions are widely valued as intangible cultural heritage. Arxan, deeply connected to water, naturally draws the attention of visitors from far and wide.
“A handful of divine sacred spring water washes away the dust of the world.” Arxan mineral springs boast a unique geographical structure, excellent hydrogeological conditions, a high degree of natural groundwater purification, and are rich in minerals and precious trace elements, giving the springs significant medicinal and health benefits. Since the development and utilization of Arxan mineral springs by Ao La Changxing, the vice commander of the Hulunbuir Sub-prefecture General Office, and a lama doctor during the Daoguang and Xianfeng reigns of the Qing Dynasty (1850), there has been over 160 years of documented history of these springs promoting health and treating illnesses. The continuation of history and the inheritance of traditions have not only made Arxan mineral springs world-renowned but have also established Arxan’s tourism industry through its waters and springs.
With reverence for the sacred mineral springs and a deep longing for the forests and grasslands, the 2015 Arxan International Sacred Spring Festival arrives as scheduled on June 20th, conveying to citizens and tourists the sacred spring culture, ethnic culture, and the charm of Arxan as a tourist city.
The opening ceremony of the 2015 Arxan International Sacred Spring Festival will be held on June 20th in the Arxan Haishen Sacred Spring Tourist Resort. Set against the backdrop of Arxan’s pristine green mountains and waters, it will capture the attention of painting, tourism, and photography enthusiasts. Themed “Bathe in the Sacred Spring Water and Experience a Healthy Life,” this year’s festival will comprehensively showcase Arxan’s thriving tourism industry, rich ethnic culture, and the scientific development philosophy of harmony between humans and nature. It serves as a platform for cultural exchange between Arxan, the photography community, and the tourism industry, offering a microcosm of Arxan’s tourism resources, products, and cultural heritage, and a grand stage for the flourishing tourism industry and cultural development of Arxan.
The opening ceremony of the Arxan International Sacred Spring Festival will take place on June 20th at the Arxan Haishen Sacred Spring Tourist Resort. It will attract representatives from travel agencies in Guangdong, Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and the three northeastern provinces, as well as distinguished guests, local citizens, and nearby Mongolian herders to participate in the opening celebration. Performances by actors at the opening ceremony will convey the joy of Arxan citizens for the sacred springs and the traditional festival.
Mongolian Equestrian Performance Event The thunderous sound of galloping horses and clashing weapons, charging freely across the battlefield. The Mongolian equestrian performance event planned and implemented by Haishen Group will take you through time and space, chasing dreams on the grassland. The exquisite equestrian skills of the knights from Mongolia, the ready-for-battle formations, and the heroic spirit of bloody warfare perfectly recreate the might of Genghis Khan’s cavalry sweeping across the northern steppes, invincible and unstoppable, bringing you into that heroic era of clashing weapons and stirring tales. Mongolians love horse racing and value equestrian skills. Historically, Genghis Khan’s army included over 30,000 skilled riders and archers. To this day, Mongolian herders, especially the youth, continue to engage widely in equestrian sports. Mongolian polo, horse racing, horse taming, obstacle courses, swordplay, and light riding (trick riding on horseback) have all reached a very high level. In addition to performing various balancing, supporting, handstands, somersaults, twists, and mounting moves on horseback, they can also perform elegantly and brilliantly on the back of galloping horses. What the audience sees is the passionate beauty of speed and strength.
“Sacred Spring Blessing” Activity The event invites eminent monks from the Gegen Temple, the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in northeastern Inner Mongolia, to conduct a “Sacred Spring Blessing” ceremony at the Arxan Haishen Sacred Spring Tourist Resort, including a sacred spring blessing ritual. The annual prayer event by the eminent monks adds a mysterious religious hue to the Arxan International Sacred Spring Festival. The monks chant scriptures, pray for the sacred springs and all living beings, bestow initiations, and offer sacred spring water, praying for the continuous flow of the sacred springs and blessings for the people. This attracts many to come together to pray for the divine springs’ protection and to seek blessings.
Opening Ceremony of the Aolunbukan Scenic Area Nestled within the depths of the Greater Khingan Mountains and surrounded by pristine forests lies a mysterious tribe—the Aolunbukan tribe. It is said that this clan is descended from the Tungusic people, who worshipped the Big Dipper, and their name—Aolunbukan—is also one of the seven star gods. The Morgon River, originating from the western foothills of the Greater Khingan Mountains, nourishes the Aolunbukan tribe. Step into Aolunbukan to explore this tribe’s land of volcanic forests, gushing hot springs, and the continuous sustenance of glaciers, forests, and grasslands, and feel the enduring cultural essence of the Aolunbukan tribe of Arxan that has been passed down to this day.
Exhibition of Works by Local Arxan Photography Enthusiasts The vast Greater Khingan Mountains, lush grasslands, forests, and wetlands, along with the ceaselessly gushing millennia-old mineral springs, nurture the kind and hardworking people of Arxan. The beauty of Arxan is spread through the perspectives of many photographers, and the native people of Arxan share the 360-degree beauty of their land in real time. The “Exhibition of Works by Local Arxan Photography Enthusiasts” expresses the deep love of the people living on this land for their home.
Arxan Tourism Product Promotion Conference Representatives from 40 travel agencies in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Shenzhen-Guangzhou-Shanghai, and Heilongjiang-Jilin-Liaoning are invited to visit Arxan to experience the “Arxan Sacred Springs + Forest Culture” and “Arxan Sacred Springs + Ethnic Culture,” promoting the latest tourism routes and products launched in Arxan (such as the Arxan Songber Port, National Forest Park, and National Geopark scenic areas). Through an “invite-in” marketing approach, the “Majestic Greater Khingan, Dreamlike Arxan” tourism brand image is being promoted.
Arxan International Sacred Spring Festival Press Conference The press conference for the Sacred Spring Festival gathers media, tourism, and journalism professionals to share the development voice and aspirations of “Majestic Greater Khingan, Dreamlike Arxan” with society.
Original Stage Play Performance “Dreamlike Arxan” The large-scale original dance poetry and painting performance “Dreamlike Arxan” primarily introduces the natural scenery of Arxan, using a storyline adapted from the legend of the sacred springs and the divine deer of Arxan to connect the entire performance. The play consists of four acts: Sacred Spring Heavenly Lake, Night Grassland, Forest Devastation, and Dreamlike Arxan. It is not only romantic, beautiful, magical, and colorful but also blends acrobatics with dance. Utilizing a variety of high-tech stage effects, it maximizes the use of sound, light, and electricity. It offers visitors a visual and spiritual magical feast and is an unforgettable starlit legend when visiting Arxan.
Arxan Scenic Area Inspection Tour During the opening ceremony of the Sacred Spring Festival, Arxan City will organize guests, travel agents, artists, and media reporters to visit the Arxan Port (to experience the military culture of the border port), the National Forest Park (to admire the natural scenery of forests, grasslands, wetlands, and lakes), and inspect Arxan’s newly launched tourism products and routes, experiencing the increasingly comprehensive “food, accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment” tourism industry chain and its thoughtful services.