East Hulun Buir Grassland [Hulunbeier]

"One of Top Six Most Beautiful Grasslands in China"
Ranked by China National Geoegraphy Magazin

East Hulun Buir Grassland in Hailar City, Hulun Buir City of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region: The beauty of harmony

This fertile land is adorned with hundreds of silver chains and numerous pearls. The rivers and lakes originating from the Greater Xing’an Mountain that ranges across eastern Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang Province. Rivers in Hulun Buir share one feature. They all dash down the mountains when they get to the flat terrain; they become mild and take their time meandering through the meadows.

The Mergel Gol River is said to have 'the most bends on earth', but the Yimin River, which runs from Ewenki Banner into the city of Hailar, has even more bends. Yimin River forms a pattern of tortuous ribbons. The flat terrain enables the rivers to linger on as long as they wish, nurturing the land on both banks and supporting the numerous flocks and herds of Hulun Buir.

The Hulun Nur (Nur means lake in Monglian), on the Orxon Gol River, is the fifth largest freshwater lake in China. Covering 2,339 sq kilometers, the lake is also referred to by the Mongols as a 'Dalai' (sea). Also on the Orxon Gol River but upstream in the south is Buir Nur, the boundary lake between China and Mongolia. When spring comes, shoals of fish in the Buir Nur will swim downstream along the Orxon Gol River to lay their eggs in the Hulun Nur. Between the two lakes is the Dalai Lake Nature Reserve.

The Ergun River in Chen Barag Banner flows north, forming part of the boundary between China and Russia. On the way, the 700-kilometer-long watercourse is joined by other smaller ones flowing across the Hulun Buir Grassland, and plunges through deep valleys and past precipitous cliffs in the Greater Xing’an Mountains, before joining the Heilong River and emptying into the sea. Rich water resources have brought vitality and vigor to Hunlun Buir, and more than 600 kinds of high grassland plants, make it one of the richest grasslands in the world.

In spring, thousands of white swans hover in the sky here; in summer, flocks of cranes, egrets and storks gather; and in autumn wild geese fly over in tight formations to their havens in the south. Summer is the most spectaculars season on the grassland. Green waves of grass wave in the wind, larks sing by the waters, and blue butterflies dance on the petals of the flowers, form a peaceful and harmonious scene in which horses and sheep graze serenely.

However, the legends about the prairie are alive in the memories of local people. Hulun Buir, the cradle of the Mongols, was also a realm of the Xianbei people in the 4th -6th centuries. Ancient spearheads and the ruins of the fief of one brother of Genghis Khan, who founded the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th century, all tell stories of war.

The traditional ceremony of building Aobao (cairns) and the Nadam fair held in Xin Barag Left Banner and Xin Barag Right Banner, and the summer carnival and winter Nadam fair held in the Ewenki Autonomous Banner are all grand events on the grassland. Wrestling matches, sled, horse and camel races, and dairy and lamb delicacies will feast both the eyes and stomachs of everybody.

Best time to go
From the middle of May to the middle of October and in winter from November to February next year
An average annual temperature is 23F to 35.6F.

Ticket
No ticket

Around Landscape
Xishan National Forest, Honghua’erji Forest Park, Five Springs Mountain, Nuoming Nature Reserve, Greater Xing’an Mountain, etc.

Local Snacks and Specialties
White melon-seeds, Black Agaric, Grill Whole-sheep, Bake Gigot, Braised Mutton by Hand, Banquet for All Fish, Milk Tea, Banquet for All Mutton, etc.

Travel Tips
At end of spring, there is snowstorm so get to know the weather before going.
Be sure to respect local ethical customs and traditions.
Please take enough water, sunbonnet, sunglass, and suntan oil in summer.
Bring warm clothes with you because weather is change to cold at night.

Distance
Beijing (2162 km) Hailar City (60 km) East Hulun Buir Grassland