Bayannur

The Hetao Plain at the top of the Yellow River's great northern loop, with flocks of birds on Ulansuhai Lake, Yinshan rock art and the Han-dynasty Jilu Fort recording millennia of nomadic history, plus famous Hetao cuisine and honeydew melons.

Bayannur lies in western Inner Mongolia at the top of the Yellow River's great northern loop, with its seat, Linhe District, in the heart of the Hetao Plain. With the Yellow River to the south and the Yin Mountains (the Lang and Wula ranges) to the north, irrigation from the river has made it the 'Granary beyond the Great Wall'. North of the Yin Mountains lies the Urad Grassland, and the Ulan Buh Desert borders it to the west, so lakes, wetlands, desert, grassland and farmland can all be seen on one trip. The main sights fall into three areas: Linhe and its surroundings (the China Hetao Culture Museum, the Yellow River Hetao Cultural Tourism Area and Mirror Lake); the western route through Dengkou (Nalin Lake, the Sanshenggong Water Control Project and its Catholic church, Yinshan rock art, Jilu Fort and Agui Temple), which can be done in a day; and the eastern route through Wuyuan and Urad Front Banner (the Hetao Farming Culture Expo Park, the Wuyuan Anti-Japanese War Memorial Park, and boat trips for birdwatching on Ulansuhai Lake). North of the Yin Mountains you can also stay in a yurt on the Urad Grassland. The best time to visit is May–September: summer is best for sunflowers, birdwatching and the grassland, and in October the reeds and desert poplars turn golden; winters are bitterly cold. Linhe has Bayannur Tianjitai Airport and is served by the Baotou–Lanzhou Railway and the Beijing–Lanzhou high-speed line. Sights are spread out, so self-driving is strongly recommended; allow 3–4 days. Ulansuhai Lake is about 120 km from Linhe and can be linked with a trip towards Baotou. Local food includes Hetao noodle and flour dishes, braised sauerkraut stew, mutton and Hetao honeydew melons, and sunflower seeds are a local specialty. Day–night temperature swings are large and UV is strong, so bring a jacket and sun protection.

Top sights

• Wuliangsuhai (Ulansuhai Nur) Lake – A large freshwater lake at the great bend of the Yellow River. Reed marshes and more than 200 bird species make boat birdwatching the signa…
• Narin Lake – A freshwater lake on the edge of the Ulan Buh Desert, with six islets and reeds, offering boat trips, camel rides and sand sliding.
• Yinshan Rock Paintings (Ger Obo Gully) – Ancient rock carvings in a valley on the western section of the Langshan Mountains, recording the hunting and daily lives of nomadic people…
• Jiluse Han Fortress – A Han-dynasty stone fortress guarding the Halonggenai Pass of the Langshan; Huhanye Chanyu's submission to the Han and Dou Xian's northern…
• Agui Temple – A Tibetan Buddhist temple built into caves deep in the Langshan Mountains, one of the few Nyingma (Red Sect) monasteries in Inner Mongolia.
• Sanshenggong Yellow River Water Conservancy Scenic Area – The Sanshenggong water conservancy complex, dubbed 'the First Sluice of the Ten-Thousand-Li Yellow River,' where you can see the Yellow Riv…
• Sanshenggong Catholic Church – The earliest Catholic church in the Hetao region, completed in 1893, blending Gothic and Chinese styles; it has served as a cathedral three…
• China Hetao Culture Museum – A large comprehensive cultural and heritage center in urban Linhe that systematically presents the history, farming and nomadic culture of…
• Yellow River Hetao Culture Tourism Area – An open wetland scenic area on the Yellow River bank at the southern end of Linhe, with a Yellow River Mother sculpture, a fishing village…
• Jinghu Lake (Bayannur) – A sand-and-lake wetland about 9 km north of Linhe, with dunes to the west and grassland to the south, offering water activities and short d…
• Hetao Liquor Eco-Tourism Area – An industrial tourism site within the Hetao Liquor plant in Hangjin Rear Banner, where you can visit the liquor culture museum and old ferm…
• Hetao Farming Culture Expo Park – A 4A-level farming-themed park in Wuyuan County, with more than 6,000 exhibits telling the story of two thousand years of farming and migra…
• Wuyuan Anti-Japanese War Memorial Park – A park commemorating the 1940 Battle of Wuyuan, one of the first victories in which the Chinese army recovered lost territory since the ful…
• Urad Grassland – A desert grassland on the northern flank of the Yin Mountains where you can ride horses, stay in gers and eat hand-held mutton around Haili…

Itineraries

• Western Inner Mongolia Yellow River & Desert Crossing – A one-way journey from Yinchuan to Hohhot, passing through Tengger, Wuhai, Hetao, Yinshan, and Wudangzhao.