Erenhot
A small border-crossing town on the China–Mongolia frontier and the Gobi's 'Home of Dinosaurs', with dinosaur fossil sites of the Erlian Basin, the National Gate and cross-border flavour from Zamyn-Üüd.
Erenhot lies in the northwest of Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia, facing Zamyn-Üüd in Mongolia across the border. It is China's largest land port with Mongolia and a key stop on the international railway from Beijing via Ulaanbaatar to Moscow. The town sits on Gobi desert steppe with a mid-temperate continental climate: summers are dry and sunny with big day–night temperature swings, and June–September is the best time to travel. Winters are long, bitterly cold and windy, and many sights shorten their opening hours. The Erlian Basin was one of the first places in Asia where dinosaur fossils were found, and the 'Home of Dinosaurs' theme is everywhere: the 'Dinosaur Kiss' gateway at the southern entrance to town, Dinosaur Street in the centre, and the Dinosaur National Geopark and Yilin Post Station Museum by the salt lake on the northeastern outskirts can fill a day. The National Gate scenic area, about 5 km north of town, lets you watch international trains cross the border, and the trade streets downtown sell Russian and Mongolian goods. Trains on the Jining–Erenhot line run to Hohhot and Beijing, and the airport has flights to Hohhot and elsewhere. The town is small, and most sights are within a ten-minute taxi ride. Plan to stay 1–2 days; protect yourself from sun and wind and stay hydrated. Crossing into Zamyn-Üüd requires a passport, subject to the entry rules in force at the time.
Top sights
- Erenhot National Gate Scenic Area – A border gate and boundary-marker scenic area on the China-Mongolia frontier, where you can watch international trains cross the border up…
- Erlian Basin Dinosaur National Geopark – One of the first places in Asia where dinosaur fossils were found. Beside the Gobi salt lake you'll find an in-situ fossil burial hall, a d…
- Yilin Post Station Museum – The ruins of an ancient post station on the Zhangjiakou-Kulun Great Road and Qing-era postal routes. The museum tells how Erlian grew from…
- Dinosaur Landscape Avenue (Kissing Sauropods) – The giant 'kissing dinosaur' arch at the south entrance to Erenhot and a Gobi dinosaur sculpture group. It is a must-stop photo spot for dr…
- Dinosaur Avenue (Erenhot) – One of the main roads through downtown, lined with dinosaur sculptures and signs in Chinese, Mongolian and Russian. Its lights at night cap…
- China-Mongolia-Russia Trade Street – Mongolian and Russian goods shops and wholesale markets in the port's trade district, where you can buy Russian chocolate, Mongolian dairy…
- Erlian Railway Station – The rail border station on the China-Mongolia line, where Beijing-Ulaanbaatar-Moscow international trains change bogies and standard and br…
Itineraries
- Beijing to Mongolia International Train 7-Day Round Trip – Take the K23/K24 train across the China-Mongolia border, stay in a ger in Ulaanbaatar and Terelj, and return to Beijing…