Bashang Grassland

On the southern edge of the Mongolian Plateau north of Beijing, with the Saihanba forest sea, Ulan Butong Grassland and Chongli ski resorts, a top weekend drive for Beijing and Tianjin.

"Bashang" refers to the plateau tableland on the border of northern Hebei and Inner Mongolia that rises abruptly from the North China Plain, including Zhangjiakou's Bashang (Zhangbei, Guyuan, Chongli), Chengde's Bashang (Fengning, and Saihanba in Weichang) and neighboring Ulan Butong in Hexigten Banner and Duolun in Inner Mongolia. Saihanba is a miracle of man-made forest; Ulan Butong has Jiangjun Paozi and Hamaba, both film locations; Hexigten's Arshihaty Stone Forest and Dalai Nor Lake are also often included; the "Grassland Sky Road" strings together scenery in Zhangbei and Chongli, and Chongli hosted the snow events of the 2022 Winter Olympics. It is 3–4 hours from Beijing, with common itineraries of a 2–3-day weekend or a 4–5-day loop of "Beijing's North No. 1 Grassland – Saihanba – Ulan Butong." Summer weekends are very congested and lodging needs advance booking; in autumn, day–night temperature swings are large, and after the frost the grass color changes rapidly. Bashang is also an "autumn mecca" for northern photography enthusiasts, where birch forests, pastures and winding rivers show distinct layers in the morning mist; horseback riding, archery, bonfire parties and whole-roast lamb and other grassland activities abound, suiting families and team-building outings.

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