Wǔdāng monastery is 67km northeast of Bāotóu. Direct buses (¥20, 1½ hours) depart from the bus parking lot in front of Bāotóu East Railway Station at 9am and 3.20pm. Buses return at 7am and 1pm. It's better to get the 9am bus as sometimes the afternoon bus does not run. Alternatively, bus 7 (¥10, one hour), from the same parking lot, goes to Shíguǎi (石拐), 40km from Bāotóu, every 20 minutes between 7.15am and 5.30pm. From Shíguǎi you can hire a taxi for the final 30-minute journey to the monastery (one way/return ¥50/100). A taxi from Bāotóu East Railway Station to the monastery and back is around ¥300.
4Sleeping & Eating
The older eastern district (Dōnghé) is a convenient place to stay; if you’re arriving by train make sure to get off at the Bāotóu East Railway Station (包头东站; Bāotóu Dōngzhàn) and not the west station. The modern western district (Kūnqū) is 25km away and where most residents now work and stay.
Head to Nanmenwai Dajie for a selection of restaurants within walking distance of the Bāotóu East Railway Station and a short hop in a cab (¥7) from the east bus station.
Xīhú FàndiànHOTEL$$
(西湖饭店; West Lake Hotel %0472 414 4444; 10 Nanmenwai Dajie, 南门外大街10号 d from ¥288; aiW)
A five-minute walk from the east train station, this friendly place was renovated in 2014 and has plenty of clean, comfortable rooms with modern bathrooms.You can usually get a room for around ¥190.
8Getting There & Away
Air
Flights connect Bāotóu with Běijīng (¥750), Shànghǎi (¥990) and other cities. Buy tickets at www.ctrip.net. The airport is 2km south of Bāotóu East Railway Station. A taxi to the airport is ¥15, but ¥30 in the other direction.
Bus
When arriving in Bāotóu, ask if the bus stops at Dōnghé (东河) or Kūnqū (昆区). If it's the latter bus station (昆区汽车站; Kūnqū Qìchēzhàn), you will need to get off in between and take a bus (K10; ¥2.50) or a taxi (¥35) to head to the eastern Dōnghé district. The following buses leave from the main bus station (包头汽车总站; Bāotóu Qìchē Zǒngzhàn) in Dōnghé:
ADōngshèng ¥34, two hours, every 20 to 30 minutes (8am to 7pm)
AHohhot ¥40 to ¥45, three hours, every 30 minutes (7.30am to 5pm)
AYán’ān (Shaanxi) ¥156, eight hours, 3pm
AYúlín (Shaanxi) ¥95, five hours, eight daily (6.30am to 4.30pm)
Train
Frequent trains between Hohhot and Bāotóu (¥25, two hours) stop at both the east and west stations. The following trains depart from the east station.
ABěijīng hard/soft sleeper ¥175/264, 8½ to 13 hours, 12 daily
ALánzhōu hard/soft sleeper ¥230/351, 15 to 17 hours, four daily
ATàiyuán hard/soft sleeper ¥174/263, 10 to 12 hours, three daily
AYínchuān hard/soft sleeper ¥136/204, six hours, 10 daily
Genghis Khan Mausoleum 成吉思汗陵园
Genghis Khan MausoleumTOMB
(成吉思汗陵园; Chéngjí Sīhàn Língyuán admission ¥120, with museum entry ¥150; h8am-6pm)
Located 130km south of Bāotóu in the middle of nowhere is the Genghis Khan Mausoleum, China’s tribute to the great Mongol warlord. Unfortunately, old Genghis Khan (成吉思汗; Chéngjí Sīhàn) is not buried here (his resting place has never been found). Instead, the mausoleum’s existence is justified by an old Mongol tradition of worshipping Genghis Khan’s personal effects, including his saddle, bow and other items. Kublai Khan established the cult and handed over care for the objects to the Darhats, a Mongol clan.
Darhat elders kept the relics inside eight white tents, which could be moved in times of warfare. In the early 1950s, the government decided to build a permanent site for the relics and constructed this impressive triple-domed building, in the traditional Mongolian style. By then, most of the relics had been lost or stolen (everything you’ll see here is a replica). But even today, some of the guards at the site still claim descent from the Darhat clan. The ¥150 ticket includes entry to a museum with information on Genghis and Monglian culture.
From Bāotóu there is currently only one bus (¥47, two hours, 9.10am) to Chénglíng (成陵) from the main bus station in Dōnghé. You’ll then have to catch a taxi (¥15) the final 7km to the mausoleum. All buses from Báotóu to Yúlín pass by Chénglíng, so that is an option (same in the other direction, if you are coming from north Shǎnxī).
There are 11 trains (hard seat ¥18, 80 minutes) per day from Bāotóu to Dōngshèng West train station, 60km from the tomb. There are also regular buses (¥34, two hours, every 20 to 30 minutes, 8am to 7pm) from Bāotóu to Dōngshèng.
To move on, take a cab back to a small tourist village (with shops, hotels and restaurants) to flag down any Dōngshèng-bound bus at the roundabout. Buses should pass by regularly till about 4pm. From Dōngshèng (东胜) you can connect to Bāotōu (¥34), Hohhot (¥65, four hours, hourly) and other regional destinations as well as Yúlín in north Shǎnxī province.
At the roundabout, there are also share taxis to Ejin Horo Qi (伊金霍洛旗; Yījīn Huòluò Qí; ¥15 per person), known as ‘Yī Qí’, where you can get a bus to Hohhot (¥70, 4½ hours, last bus 3pm).
GENGHIS' GRAVE
The great Genghis left stern instructions that his burial place be kept secret. Legend has it that the slaves who built his tomb were massacred afterwards by soldiers, who were then subsequently killed themselves to prevent anyone knowing the location of his grave. Archaeologists hunting for Genghis’ final resting place have been further hampered by a reputed curse that has supposedly struck some down. Most historians assume that after his death (and no one knows where that occurred) in 1227, Genghis’ body was taken back to Mongolia and buried near his birthplace in Khentii Aimag close to the Onon River.
Hǎilā'ěr 海拉尔
%0470 / Pop 350,000
Northern Inner Mongolia's largest city, Hǎilā’ěr (海拉尔) is a busy, rather ordinary place. Don't fret, the city isn't the draw: surrounding the town range the expansive Hūlúnbèi’ěr Grasslands, a vast prairie that begins just outside the city and rolls northwards towards the Russian and Mongolian borders, seemingly forever. Superbly lush and deeply verdent come July and August, the grasslands are a fantastic sight and the place in Inner Mongolia to saddle up a horse.
The immediate area around Hǎilā’ěr sees several inevitably touristy yurt camps where you can eat, listen to traditional music and sometimes stay the night. Although they’re not places where Mongolians actually live, you can still learn a bit about Mongolian culture, and the wide-open grasslands are a gorgeous setting.
For a more authentic experience, travel further away, although staying with local families in the grasslands is not easy to organise unless you speak some Mandarin (or Mongolian).
1Sights
Ewenki MuseumMUSEUM
(鄂温克博物馆; Èwēnkè Bówùguǎn Youji Jie; 友谊街 h8.30-11.30am & 2.30-5.30pm)F
Roughly 20,000 Ewenki people live in northern Inner Mongolia, most of them in the Hūlúnbèi’ěr Grasslands surrounding Hǎilā’ěr. Glimpse some of their history and culture at this modern museum. Traditionally herders, hunters and farmers, the Ewenki are one of the few peoples in China to raise reindeer. You can see a chum, a wig-wam style portable dwelling that the Ewenki traditionally used.
The museum is on the southeastern edge of town. Regular minibuses (¥4, 15 minutes) run here from Buxing Jie beside the Busen shopping centre.
TTours
North of Hǎilā’ěr are few permanent settlements, just the yurts of herders with their flocks of sheep and cows and strings of Mongolian ponies set in some of the greenest grasslands you will ever see. Closer to the Russian border, the rolling prairie becomes more wooded, as spindly white pine trees appear. Bring along binoculars if you want to have a closer look at the Russian villages across the border.
If you speak Chinese, you can hire a private car for ¥500 per day to take in the sights around Hǎilā’ěr. Contact Mr Liu
(刘师父; Liú Shīfù; 159 4775 3673). During busier seasons, he can find Chinese travellers to carpool (拼车, pīnchē) with. He has set itineraries that cover Ēnhé, Shì Wěi and Mǎnzhōulǐ.
zFestivals & Events
NaadamCULTURAL, SPORTS
The Hǎilā’ěr Naadam (sports festival) is held annually in July on the grasslands just north of town. You’ll see plenty of exciting wrestling, horse racing and archery. The city is, however, flooded with tour groups from across China at this time, making it difficult to find a room, and hotel prices double.
4Sleeping & Eating
Jīnzhànghàn Grassland CampGER
(金帐汗草原; Jīnzhànghàn Cǎoyuán %133 2700 0919; hJun-early Oct)
Set along a winding river about 40km north of Hǎilā’ěr, this grasslands camp has a spectacular setting, even if it is aimed at tourists. You can pass an hour or so looking around and sipping milk tea, spend the day horse riding (per hour ¥200) or hiking, or come for an evening of dinner, singing and dancing.
If you want to stay the night, the yurts are ¥100 per person. There’s no indoor plumbing, but there is a communal toilet hut. To get here, you’ll have to hire a taxi from Hǎilā’ěr (about ¥300 return) or join one of the Chinese group tours (sign up at your hotel or at the booth at the Hǎilā’ěr train station).
About 2km before the main camp there are a couple of unsigned family-run camps. Prices for food, accommodation and horse rental are about half what you pay at Jīnzhànghàn, but they are rather less organised. To skip the tourist-run camps, push further north through the grasslands towards Ēnhé and Shì Wěi.
Jīnchuān DòuhuāzhuāngHOTPOT$$$
(金川豆花庄 %0470 834 6555; Xi Dajie; 西大街 meals from ¥70; h10am-11pm)
This big, bustling and fantastic hotpot restaurant is packed with locals; choose from a wide selection of meat, seafood and veggie options, as well as choosing between spicy (辣; là) or mild (清淡; qīngdàn) broth. There's no English or picture menu, but the waitresses will help you out. It’s on the corner of Xi Dajie and Bei Xiejie, not far from the intersection with Zhongyang Dajie.
8Information
Bank of ChinaBANK
(中国银行; Zhōngguó Yínháng cnr Xingan Donglu & Zhongyang Dajie; 兴安东路中央大街的路口 h9am-5pm Mon-Sat)
Next door to Bèi’ěr Dàjiǔdiàn in the centre of town.
Public Security BureauPOLICE
(PSB; Gōng'ānjú; Alihe Lu; 阿里河路 )
Opposite CITS in the Hédōng district on the east side of the river.
8Getting There & Away
Air
Hūlúnbèi'ěr Hǎilā'ěr Airport (呼伦贝尔海拉尔机场; Hūlúnbèi'ěr Hǎilā'ěr Jīchǎng ) Direct daily flights to Běijīng (¥1140, two hours), Hohhot (¥1150, 2¼ hours) and Shànghǎi (¥1860, 3½ hours). Go to www.elong.net or www.ctrip.com to book flights.
Hunnu Air (%+976 7000 1111; www.hunnuair.com) Flies to Ulaanbaatar (from ¥900) in Mongolia every Thursday and Sunday. The airline also flies from Hǎilā'ěr to eastern Choibalsan in eastern Mongolia. Book tickets online.
Bus
The Long-Distance Bus Station (长途车站, Chángtú Chēzhàn ) in the Hédōng district has buses to the following destinations:
ALābùdálín ¥38, two hours, half-hourly (7am to 5.30pm)
AMǎnzhōulǐ ¥45, three hours, hourly (7.20am to 5pm)
Train
Ten daily trains go to Mǎnzhōulǐ (hard seat ¥29, two to three hours). There are also daily trains between Hǎilā’ěr and Hā’ěrbīn (hard/soft sleeper ¥178/273, 10 to 14 hours), Qíqíhā’ěr (seat/hard sleeper ¥72/136, eight hours, six daily) and Běijīng (hard/soft sleeper ¥377/582, 28 hours).
The train station is in the northwestern part of town. A taxi to the city centre is ¥7.
8Getting Around
Airport buses (¥5) connect to all flights and depart from the train station roughly 1½ hours before departure. A taxi to the airport from town costs ¥30.
Buses 1, 3, 7 and 9 run from the train station past Bèi’ěr Dàjiǔdiàn (Bèi’ěr Hotel). Bus 18 runs from the Long-Distance Bus Station in Hédōng to the train station, while taxis charge ¥12. Taxi fares start at ¥6.
Ēnhé 恩和
The small township of Ēnhé (恩和), located 70km north of Lābùdálín en route to Shì Wěi, is one of the area's unsung villages brimming with an unhurried and authentic atmosphere. Surrounded by hills and acres of lush grass, the village only recently opened to tourism, so a low-key vibe survives. Many residents are of Chinese-Russian origin; some could easily pass for Russians. Here, herders milk their cows outside their properties when they aren't taking them out to pasture. Sample boiled milk at your accommodation.
Horse rides start at around ¥60 (a bargain in Inner Mongolia!). You can hire bikes (¥10 per hour) – an excellent way to get about – or go for hikes. The mosquitoes are totally killer in summer so bring plenty of repellent.
There's a handful of places you can stay in the village, but in terms of accessibility, travel info and affordability, the Ēnhé Grasslands International Hostel (呼伦贝尔恩和牧场国际青年旅舍, Hūlúnbèi'ěr Ēnhé Mùchǎng Guójì Qīngnián Lǚshě %0470 694 2277; www.yhachina.com; dm ¥45-50, d & tw ¥100-240, tr ¥240, q ¥260; W) is a good choice. Many hotels shut up shop during the winter months, opening again in spring.
Several small restaurants can be found in the village for barbecues, steamed bread and noodles. Some of the hotels can cook up dishes too, but for more choice, head back to Lābùdálín or Hǎilā’ěr.
8Getting There & Away
To get here from Hǎilā’ěr, you need to travel first to Lābùdálín (拉布达林; ¥40, two hours, half hourly 7am to 5.30pm). Lābùdálín (sometimes called É'ěrgǔnà) has two daily direct buses (¥27, two hours), at 12.10am and 2.30pm. Buses return to Lābùdálín in the morning at 8.30am and 9.30am. Shì Wěi–bound buses also stop on the main road leading to Ēnhé, from where it's a 1.5km walk into town. You can flag onward buses to Shì Wěi from the main road at around 11.15am and 5.15pm.
Mǎnzhōulǐ 满洲里
%0470 / Pop 300,000
This laissez-faire border city, where the Trans-Siberian Railway crosses from China to Russia, is a pastel-painted boomtown of shops, hotels and restaurants catering to the Russian market. Unless you look Asian, expect shopkeepers to greet you in Russian. Mǎnzhōulǐ (满洲里) is modernising at lightning speed, but a few Russian-style log houses still line Yidao Jie.
Mǎnzhōulǐ is small enough to get around on foot. From the train station to the town centre, it’s a 10-minute walk. Turn right immediately as you exit the station, then right again to cross the footbridge. You’ll come off the bridge near the corner of Yidao Jie and Zhongsu Lu.
1Sights
Hūlún LakeLAKE
(呼伦湖; Hūlún Hú admission ¥30)
Occupying an enormous 2339 sq km and one of China's largest freshwater lakes, Hūlún Lake, called Dalai Nuur (Ocean Lake) in Mongolian, unexpectedly pops out of the grasslands like a colossal inland sea. You can hire a horse (¥100 per 30 minutes) or a quad bike (¥100 per 20 minutes), take a boat ride (¥10 per 20 minutes) or simply stroll along the rocky lakeshore, taking in its magnificence. The lake is 39km southeast of Mǎnzhōulǐ.
The only way to get to the lake is by hiring a taxi. Expect to pay about ¥200 return, including a visit to the nearby Russian Doll Park.
4Sleeping
Fēngzéyuán LǚdiànGUESTHOUSE$
(丰泽源旅店 %0470 225 4099, 139 4709 3443; Yidao Jie; 一道街 tw ¥200; iW)
Located inside a restored Russian log cabin (painted yellow and green), this friendly guesthouse offers large, clean and affordable rooms. Coming off the pedestrian bridge from the train station, it’s the first building in front of you, next to the statue of Zhou Enlai. Prices fall to ¥50 during the slow season.
Shangri-LaHOTEL$$$
(香格里拉大酒店; Xiānggélǐlā Dàjiǔdiàn %0470 396 8888; www.shangr
i-la.com; 99 Liudao Jie; 六道街99号 d ¥1388, ste ¥4588; naiWs)
A byword for quality, style and professionalism across Asia, the luxurious Shangri-La is an excellent choice. Very comfortable rooms offer views over the surrounding grasslands, and there are Chinese and open-kitchen international restaurants, a 20m swimming pool and a spa. Cocktails in the Lobby Lounge nicely round off the day. Prices are often discounted to around ¥850.
5Eating
There are plenty of restaurants (pectopah in Russian) in town. For a smart choice of Chinese and international dining, the Shangri-La is a very good choice.
Bèijiā'ěr Hú Xī CāntīngRUSSIAN$$
(贝加尔湖西餐厅 23 Zhongsu Lu, near Wudao Jie; 中苏路23号 dishes from ¥30; h24hr)
The name of the restaurant translates as 'Lake Baikal Western Restaurant', giving some indication of its target audience. Rub shoulders with Russians who come for robust Chinese-style Russian dishes such as borscht and steaks set to a Russian soundtrack. The set meals are the way to go, letting you sample the best dishes; paired with cold draft beer, they work wonders. There's a picture menu available.
8Information
China International Travel ServiceTRAVEL AGENCY
(CITS; 中国国际旅行社; Zhōngguó Guójì Lǚxíngshè %0470 622 8319; www.cits.net; 35 Erdao Jie; 二道街35号 h8-11.30am & 2-4pm Mon-Fri)
Sells train tickets for Chinese cities and one-day tours to the local sights, but not good for tourist information. Located on the 1st floor of Guójì Fàndiàn (国际饭店; International Hotel).
Lonely Planet China Page 184