Tongliao & Horqin

The heart of the Horqin Grassland, combining grassland and sandland scenery: the primeval forest of Daqinggou amid the desert, Hure's three great monasteries, Xiaozhuang Park, and the Agula and Zhurihe grasslands.

Tongliao lies in eastern Inner Mongolia, in the heart of the Horqin Grassland, with the West Liao River flowing through the city from west to east. It has the largest Mongol population of any prefecture-level city in China and is known as the 'Home of the Morin Khuur' and the 'Home of the Andai Dance'. The scenery here is not the classic endless steppe but the Horqin Sandy Land, a patchwork of grassland, sand, small lakes and open woodland. Most visitors base themselves in central Tongliao and split their trip into a southern and a northern route. The southern route runs via Ganqika in Horqin Left Rear Banner to Daqinggou, where primeval broadleaf forest grows in the middle of the desert, then west to Hure Banner for its three great monasteries, Xingyuan, Fuyuan and Xiangjiao, and the Taminchagan Desert. To the southeast, the Agula Grassland has lakes, wetlands and dunes, with horse riding and migratory birds. The northern route heads to Horqin Left Middle Banner for Xiaozhuang Park (a theme park around the hometown of Empress Xiaozhuang) and the Zhurihe Grassland, which hosts a Naadam festival every summer. The best time to visit is June–September, when the grass is green and flowers are in bloom; in late September Daqinggou is ablaze with autumn colour. Winters are bitterly cold, with lows around -25°C, and spring is windy and dusty. Tongliao Airport has flights to Beijing, Shanghai and other cities, and Tongliao Station has high-speed and conventional trains to Beijing, Shenyang and beyond. Sights are spread out, so self-driving or hiring a car with driver is recommended: from the city it takes about 1.5 hours to Daqinggou, about 2 hours to Hure and about 1.5 hours to Zhurihe. Allow 2–3 days. Local food to try includes Horqin beef jerky, hand-pulled mutton (shouba rou), Mongolian meat pies and milk tea with toasted millet. Protect yourself from the sun on grassland and desert outings, and when riding, choose a licensed stable and wear a helmet.

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