Eastern Inner Mongolia

The five leagues and cities of Hulunbuir, Hinggan, Tongliao, Chifeng and eastern Xilingol combine grasslands, forests, lakes and border ports into a northern self-drive paradise.

The Eastern Inner Mongolia region refers to the five leagues and cities in the east of Inner Mongolia, namely the entire jurisdictions of Hulunbuir, Hinggan League, Tongliao, Chifeng and Xilingol League. The "Hulunbuir Grand Loop" often mentioned in the trade is only one part of it; this region is larger in scope and does not use that name. Hulunbuir is the core: around Hailar lies the vast Hulunbuir Grassland; the Ergun Wetland, Genhe Forest, and Shiwei and Moerdaga along the Ergun River have distinctive border-river scenery and Russian ethnic folk customs; Manzhouli is a China–Russia border port city whose night views and exotic architecture are well worth seeing; and Zhalantun has lovely scenery. In Hinggan League, Arxan has volcanic landforms, the Heavenly Lake and forests, and is especially famous for autumn colors and winter snow. In Chifeng, Hexigten Banner has the Arshihaty Stone Forest and Dali Nur Lake, and the Ulan Butong Grassland is a popular film location; in Xilingol, the grasslands around Xilinhot and Ulagai are vast, Erenhot is a China–Mongolia border port with dinosaur fossil sites, and the Site of Xanadu near Duolun is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. Tongliao offers the Horqin Grassland and sandy landscapes. Classic itineraries are a seven- to ten-day self-drive on the Hulunbuir loop, or a five- to seven-day grassland route through Chifeng and Xilingol. For transport, Hailar, Manzhouli, Arxan, Chifeng, Xilinhot, Tongliao and Erenhot all have airports, and Chifeng and Tongliao are on the high-speed rail network; attractions in the region are very far apart, so you almost need to self-drive or hire a car. Summer has large temperature swings between day and night, and winters are bitterly cold, so bring professional cold-weather gear.

Destinations

Itineraries