Inner Mongolia

Inner Mongolia stretches in a long arc of more than 2,400 kilometers (about 1,500 miles) along China's northern edge, from the forests of the Greater Khingan Range to the sand dunes in the west. A vacation in Inner Mongolia means horseback riding across the grasslands, nights in yurts, and encounters with Mongolian culture caught between tradition and modernity.

Landscapes Between Steppe and Desert

In the northeast lies the Hulunbuir grassland, one of the largest steppes in the world, crisscrossed by meandering rivers; at Manzhouli on the Russian border, Chinese and Russian influences meet. The Greater Khingan Range is covered in dense larch forests, where the Evenki herd reindeer. Farther west, the land grows drier: the Kubuqi Desert near Ordos and the Badain Jaran Desert in the Alxa region impress with some of the tallest sand dunes on Earth and lakes nestled between the dunes; in the Kubuqi you can go sand sledding or ride camels. The climate is continental, with short, warm summers and icy winters.

Sights in Inner Mongolia

Hohhot, the capital, is home to important Tibetan Buddhist complexes, including the Dazhao Temple and the Xilitu Monastery; the Inner Mongolia Museum displays dinosaur fossils and nomadic culture. On the Xilamuren or Gegentala grasslands near Hohhot, yurt camps offer horseback rides, wrestling matches, and archery. Near Ordos stands the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan, a memorial site with three domed halls. Baotou, the industrial center, is close to Wudang Lamasery, one of the largest Lamaist monasteries in the region. In summer, Naadam festivals featuring wrestling, horse racing, and archery take place everywhere. In Manzhouli, a nesting doll plaza and Russian-style buildings recall the nearby border, and in Ordos you'll find the futuristic new district of Kangbashi, once known as a ghost town.

Food, Getting There, and the Best Time to Visit

Mongolian cuisine revolves around meat and milk: whole-cooked mutton eaten with your hands, grilled leg of lamb, salty milk tea with millet, and dried curd. Add to that Hohhot-style shaomai dumplings and oat noodles. Hohhot and several other cities have airports, and high-speed trains connect Hohhot with Beijing in a little over two hours. The best time to visit is between June and September, when the grasslands are green; in winter, temperatures drop far below zero.