Xilinhot

The heart of the Xilingol grasslands, with Beizi Temple, the volcanic tablelands of Pingding Mountain and the Xilin Nine Bends; summer Naadam horse racing and wrestling here is as authentic as it gets.

Xilinhot is the capital of Xilingol League in Inner Mongolia, located in the middle of the Xilingol grasslands on the banks of the Xilin River at about 1,000 m above sea level; its Mongolian name means city on the hills. The city grew up around the Qing-dynasty Beizi Temple and is a grassland city with a strong Mongolian character. This destination centers on the city: Beizi Temple and Erdun Ovoo lie to the north, the Xilingol League Museum and the Mongol-Yuan Cultural Park are west of the river, the Xilin Nine Bends are about 13 km to the southeast, and the Pingding Mountain volcanic tablelands are some 30-odd km to the south. To the southeast, the Xilingol Grassland National Nature Reserve was China's first national reserve for grasslands.

The best season on the grasslands is late June to August, when the grass is greenest and wildflowers are in bloom; Naadam festivals are held across the region in July and August, with horse racing, wrestling and archery. In September the grass turns golden, perfect for photography. Winters are bitterly cold, with lows below -30°C, and travel calls for caution during blizzards.

Getting there: Xilinhot Airport has flights to Beijing, Hohhot and elsewhere; it is about a 6–7-hour drive from Beijing, and trains are also available. Taxis cover sights in the city, but hire a car or self-drive for the grasslands and Pingding Mountain. Most visitors spend 2–3 days, and you can visit a herding family to try hand-held mutton, milk tea and dairy snacks. Temperatures swing widely between day and night on the grasslands, so bring a jacket even in summer; open flames are strictly banned during the fire-prevention season, and do not drive off established tracks across the grassland.

Top sights

• Beizi Temple – A Tibetan Buddhist temple founded during the Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty and one of Inner Mongolia's four major temples. The city of X…
• Xilingol Grassland National Nature Reserve – China's first national nature reserve for grassland and a member of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere network, with sweeping typical steppe sc…
• Erdun Ovoo Park – Thirteen ovoo cairns lined up on the hilltop behind Beizi Temple, hung with colorful prayer flags, with views over Xilinhot city and the gr…
• Xilin River Nine Bends – The Xilin River winds through nine bends across the grassland, its surface glowing like a golden ribbon at sunset, making it Xilinhot's mos…
• Pingdingshan Volcanic Tablelands – More than a dozen flat-topped volcanic tablelands rise abruptly from the grassland, their summits as level as if sliced with a knife; seen…
• Xilingol League Museum & Mongol-Yuan Culture Park – The core building of the Mongol-Yuan Culture Park, displaying Mongol-Yuan seals, tallies, gold and silverware and costumes, with a systemat…

Where to eat

• Saiyide Mongolian Restaurant (Xilinhot Branch) – A popular Mongolian eatery on the ground floor of the Shitai hotel on Chongqing Road; hand-held mutton and guo cha (sal…

Itineraries

• Xanadu, Xilingol & Ulagai Loop from Beijing – Head north from Beijing to the Site of Xanadu and Xilinhot, venture east into the pristine Ulagai Grassland, and return…