China PostPOST
(中国邮政; Zhōngguó Yóuzhèng cnr Haiguan Jie & Sidao Jie; 海关路四道街路口 h9am-5pm)
Slightly south of the intersection, on the west side of Haiguan Lu.
Industrial & Commercial Bank of ChinaBANK
(ICBC; 工商银行; Gōngshāng Yínháng cnr Yidao Jie & Zhongsu Lu; 一道街中苏路的路口 )
On the southeast corner of Yidao Jie and Zhongsu Lu.
Public Security BureauPOLICE
(PSB; 公安局; Gōng'ānjú cnr Sandao Jie & Shulin Lu; 三道街树林路的路口 )
8Getting There & Away
Mǎnzhōulǐ Xijiāo Airport (满洲里西郊机场; Mǎnzhōulǐ Xijiāo Jīchǎng ) is on the edge of town, around 9km away. There are daily flights to Běijīng (¥1150, 2¼ hours) and, in summer, to Hohhot (¥1150, 2½ hours) and Shànghǎi. Hunnu Air (www.hunnuair.com) flies internationally twice a week to Ulaanbaatar (2½ hours).
There are 10 buses a day to Hǎilā’ěr (¥45, three hours, 6.30am to 5.30pm) from the International Bus Station (国际汽车站; Guójì Qìchē Zhàn %0470 622 0358; Yidao Jie; 一道街 ).
You can reach Mǎnzhōulǐ by train from Hǎilā’ěr (¥26 to ¥29, 2½ hours, 10 daily), Hā’ěrbīn (hard/soft sleeper ¥230/351, 13 to 17 hours, six daily) and Qíqíhā’ěr (hard/soft sleeper ¥163/252, 11 hours). Two trains per day also roll to Běijīng (hard/soft sleeper ¥444/684, 32 hours, 9.18pm and 11.29pm) and one very slow train goes to Hohhot (hard/soft sleeper ¥488/752, 40 hours, 4.10pm)
BORDER CROSSINGS: GETTING TO MONGOLIA
Buses to Zabaikalsk (后贝加尔; Hòubèijiā'ěr; ¥92, five hours), over the Russian border, depart eight times daily between 7.40am and 1.30pm from the International Bus Station, but they tend to be much slower than a private car (the Chinese traders on your bus will take ages to get through customs). In Mǎnzhōulǐ you could ask around for a ride from a Russian trader (Russians get through faster). Otherwise, take a taxi to the border (¥40), 9km from town, and get a ride across from there with a Russian driver.
8Getting Around
Taxis charge ¥10 for most trips around town.
A taxi to the airport will take about 15 minutes (¥40).
Shì Wěi 室韦
%0470 / Pop 1800
A small Russian-style town of log cabins located right on the É'ěrgǔnà River, which marks the border with Russia, Shì Wěi (室韦) is deep within the glorious grasslands. Shì Wěi itself is no longer the backwater it once was and the commercial summer tourist season gets busy with domestic visitors, although very few foreigners make it up here, especially out of season. But it’s fun to ride a horse along the riverbank (¥40 per half-hour) while gazing at the Russian village on the opposite bank, or sitting down to some Russian food. Look for wooden stages on both sides of the river: each country used to host performances for their neighbours! Taking the backcountry roads here, through the elm forests, is another attraction.
Spring and autumn see fewer visitors, but summer sees the grasslands at their greenest best, while winter is so cold activity slows to a glacial crawl and you can barely move.
4Sleeping & Eating
In Shì Wěi, families have turned their homes into guesthouses and/or restaurants, often named after families. As these are the principal source of income for local families, they are not hard to find. You can get a room for around ¥100 to ¥300.
In the evening barbecue stalls set up along the main drag and in most of the adjacent lanes. Restaurants are run by local families, and guesthouse owners can generally cook up meals for guests.
ZhuóyāzhījiāGUESTHOUSE$
(卓雅之家 %150 4701 7557; d & tw ¥100)
Neat doubles and courtyard river views can be had for ¥100 at Zhuóyāzhījiā. From the bus drop-off, walk ahead towards the town square and turn left on the last lane. The house is 100m to the right.
8Getting There & Away
From Hǎilā’ěr, first travel to Lābùdálín (拉布达林; ¥38, two hours, half-hourly 7am to 5.30pm), and from there there are two daily direct buses to Shì Wěi (¥44, four hours), at 9.30am and 3.30pm. Buses return to Lābùdálín at 8am and 1pm but make sure you buy your ticket in advance to secure a seat.
VISITING THE RUSSIAN BORDER
For a closer look at Russia, you can walk to the Friendship Bridge (友谊桥; Yǒuyì Qiáo ¥20; h8am-5pm). Chinese tourists pose for photos at the foot of the bridge connecting the two countries before wandering down to a hut to buy Russian chocolate and souvenirs. Taxis can take you to Línjiāng (临江) – a less touristy border village with a lovely natural setting – for ¥100 return. You can also find accommodation in Línjiāng but will need to head back to Shì Wěi if you want to get the bus back to Lābùdálín.
Bayanhot 阿拉善左旗
%0483 / Pop 140,000
In the far west of Inner Mongolia, Bayanhot (阿拉善左旗; Ālāshàn Zuǒqí; also called 巴彦浩特; Bāyànhàotè) is most easily reached by land from Yínchuān in Níngxià. If coming from Níngxià, it can serve as a handy one-stop introduction to Mongol culture, its language, food and the vast deserts and high blue skies of far western Inner Mongolia. The town is also the gateway to the fantastic temple Guǎngzōng Sì and has a crop of interesting sights of its own, including the excellent, modern museum and the traditional architecture of the Qīnwáng Fǔ. Despite the absence of railways, the airport links Bayanhot with Ālāshàn Yòuqí (for the Badain Jaran Desert) and Éjìnà Qí (for Khara Khoto) in Inner Mongolia, so access from further afield has been greatly simplified.
1Sights
oQīnwáng FǔHISTORIC BUILDING
(亲王府 h9am-6pm)F
This fabulous courtyard palace is the former home of the local prince, the Alashan Qin Wang. A well-restored, Qing-era complex of buildings and courtyards, the palace has photos of the last prince (1903–68) and his family, plus some of their personal effects, but it's the splendid traditional layout and architecture that steals the show.
oAlashan MuseumMUSEUM
(阿拉善博物馆; Ālāshàn Bówùguǎn Ande Jie; 安德街 h9am-6pm)F
This stunning museum, rehoused in 2011, affords a fascinating insight into Alashan and Mongolian culture. English captions are sporadic, which is a shame, but there's a wealth of objects to explore. The Dinosaur gallery on the 1st floor is very professional, but the upstairs galleries are exemplary, with displays of Mongolian clothing, saddles and Buddhist instruments, as well as a range of sacred masks and a thangka. There's also a gallery on ancient stone carvings and a model of Khara Khoto in its heyday.
There's also an aerial photo of today's Khara Khoto, for comparison, The museum itself is a recent, very forward-thinking construction, in keeping with the very modern-looking concert hall next door, the new library and sports centre up the road, in a new area that was clearly designed to put the town on the map. The museum has free wi-fi. Taxis from the long-distance bus station will take you here for around ¥10.
Guǎngzōng SìMONASTERY
(广宗寺 admission ¥80; h8am-6pm)
Once one of the most magnificent monasteries in Inner Mongolia, Guǎngzōng Sì has a stunning setting in the mountains 38km south of Bayanhot. At its height, some 2000 monks lived here. So important was the monastery that the main prayer hall, Gandan Danjaling Sum, contains the remains of the sixth Dalai Lama inside the golden stupa that dominates it.
Tragically, the monastery was demolished during the Cultural Revolution; a 1957 photo in the main prayer hall gives you an idea of how big it once was. The temples have since been rebuilt, but in the last couple of years a hotel, yurt restaurants and a supremely tacky shopping street have been added to the complex to entice domestic tour groups here.
There are good walking trails in the mountains behind the complex; take the path to the right of the main temple and follow it for one hour to a grassy plateau with fantastic views.
From Bayanhot, a taxi to the monastery and back is around ¥150, but the driver may not want to wait for long
(in this case he will naturally charge more). If going on to Yínchuān (your taxi driver can drop you at the highway where you can stop any Yínchuān-bound bus), look out for the crumbling, yet still mighty, remains of the Great Wall at Sānguānkǒu (三关口). Some sections are up to 10m high and 3m wide.
Yánfú SìBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(延福寺 h8am-noon & 3-6pm)F
The original Mongol town of Bayanhot was centred on this 18th-century temple. Completed in 1742, it once housed 200 lamas; around 30 are resident here now. The Hall of the Three Buddhas is an authentic and dusty shrine housing its namesake trinity of Buddha in various incarnations, while the Money God Temple, in one of the side halls, sees the shining Money God himself, flanked by ferocious Tibetan Buddhist deities, gazing out over flickering, burning wicks suspended in oil.
The main hall at the rear is the Great Treasure Hall, which was sadly shut at the time of research.
Catholic ChurchCHURCH
(天主教堂; Tiānzhǔ Jiàotáng h7am-noon & 2.30-6pm)
This twin-spired, brick-built church is quite a sight as you head towards town from the long-distance bus station. Of relatively recent construction, it's a welcoming place with a pure white interior and paintings depicting the Stations of the Cross on the walls; 10 wall radiators keep it cosy in winter. Built for what must be a sizeable congregation, the church has a small side chapel too, with Christian literature in Chinese scattered about.
The gate may appear shut, but you can slide the bolt and walk in.
4Sleeping & Eating
Hotels are dotted around town, with some usefully located right by the long-distance bus station. You'll end up spending around ¥80 to ¥100 for a cramped room at the grotty, smaller places, so you may as well spend another ¥40 to ¥80 for a far nicer room in the smarter choices.
The restaurant centre of Bayanhot focuses on the roads around New Century Sq (新世纪广场; Xìnshìjì Guǎngchǎng), especially along Yabrai Lu (雅布赖路) and Hoxud Lu (和硕特路), where you can find noodle and lamb restaurants, plus fast-food outlets.
Āndá Jiàrì JiǔdiànHOTEL$$
(安达假日酒店; Āndá Holiday Hotel %0483 877 0999; Tuerhute Beilu, next to long distance bus station; 土尔扈特北路汽车站旁边 r incl breakfast ¥170-400; naW)
This classy hotel is excellently located for that early-morning bus to Bāotóu or Ālāshān Yóuqí. Rooms are bright, spacious and quiet and excellent discounts regularly bring the cheapest rooms down to around ¥140.
Alxa GuesthouseHOTEL$$$
(阿拉善宾馆; Ālāshàn Bīnguǎn %0483 221 1889; www.alsbg.com; 42 Hoxud Lu; 和硕特路42号 naW)
Opened in 2012, this smart and sparkling four-star hotel is the best in town, with very swish and comfortable rooms in the main block. Cheaper rooms are located in the other buildings, with discounts of around 40% in effect most of the time. The airport bus leaves from the main gate.
7Shopping
Bayanhot means ‘Rich City’ in Mongolian and there’s a thriving jade trade here. Numerous shops deal in it and there’s a small market in front of the Qīnwáng Fǔ. Bargain hard if you’re in a buying mood.
8Getting There & Away
Bayanhot is served by Alxa Left Banner Bayanhot Airport (阿拉善左旗巴彦浩特机场; Ālāshàn Zuǒqí Bāyànhàotè Jīchǎng ), to the southwest of town, which opened in 2013. Joy Air flights connect Bayanhot with Xī'ān and Okay Airways flies to Āláshàn Yòuqí, Éjìnà Qí and Hohhot. Snow can scupper flights, so be prepared for delays.
Buses depart every 40 minutes from Yínchuān’s south bus station for Bayanhot (¥30, two to three hours) between 7.20am and 6pm (you could stop off at the Western Xia Tombs). In the other direction, the first bus leaves Bayanhot at 6.20am, the last departs at 6.05pm. If you want to travel further west into Inner Mongolia from Bayanhot there are three buses in the morning to Éjìnà Qí (¥140, eight hours), at 8am, 9am and 9.20am. One daily bus goes to Āláshàn Yòuqí (阿拉善右旗; ¥121, six to eight hours) at 7.10am. There is a bus to Bāotǒu (¥131, eight to nine hours) at 7.10am, a sleeper to Hohhot at 4pm (¥176) and one bus per day to Dōngshèng (¥131) at 9.30am.
8Getting Around
Regular shuttle buses connect the airport with the Měnggǔ Bīnguǎn (蒙古宾馆; Mongolia Hotel) in town. The long-distance bus station is on the outskirts of town, a ¥2 trip from the centre. Taxis are ¥2 to ¥5 to most short-haul destinations in town; taxis always stop regularly to pick up multiple passengers.
Far West Inner Mongolia
%0483
The golden deserts, shimmering lakes and ruined cities of western Inner Mongolia are fantastic places for adventures far from the beaten track. With new airports in the three major towns across the region now providing links to Hohhot and Xī'ān, the Badain Jaran Desert and ancient town of Khara Khoto are far more accessible than before.
1Sights
Badain Jaran DesertDESERT
(巴丹吉林沙漠; Bādānjílín Shāmò )
The remote but stunning Badain Jaran Desert is a mysterious 49,000-sq-km landscape of desert lakes, Buddhist temples and towering dunes. The dunes here are among the tallest in the world, some topping 460m (taller than the Empire State Building). The tallest are static with a solid core, and do not move. The closest town in the region, Ālāshàn Yòuqí (阿拉善右旗), is a 30-minute drive from the dunes.
Home to spring-fed lakes, the desert actually sprawls across not just Inner Mongolia, but Níngxià and Gānsù provinces too. Badanjilin Travel Service, in town, organises camel treks (from ¥120 per hour), tours to desert lakes with English-speaking guides (from ¥1000), as well as overnight expeditions. It can also organise a car to Khara Khoto for ¥1600 return. Chéngdū-based Navo Tours (%028 8611 7722; www.navo-tour.com; 1-1-503, Fushan International Building, 28 Shangchi Zhengjie; 上池正街28号釜山国际大厦1-1-306 ) runs 4WD tours here (three days of which is in the desert) starting from Lánzhōu with English-speaking guides.
Khara KhotoHISTORIC SITE
(Black City; 黑城; Hēichéng admission ¥10; h8am-7pm)
This ruined Tangut city was built in 1032 and captured by Genghis Khan in 1226 (his last great battle). Khara Khoto continued to thrive under Mongol occupation, but in 1372 an upstart Ming battalion starved the city of its water source, killing everyone inside. Six hundred years of dust storms nearly buried Khara Khoto, until the Russian explorer PK Kozlov excavated and mapped the site, recovering hundreds of Tangut-era texts (now kept at the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts in St Petersburg).
Located about 25km southeast of Éjìnà Qí, the allure here is the remoteness of the site and surrounding natural beauty. A great time to visit is late September to early October when the poplar trees are changing colours; but be warned that every hotel room in Éjìnà Qí will be booked out at this time.
4Sleeping & Eating
There are sleeping options in Bayanhot, which serves as a gateway town to the region, and also Āláshàn Yòuqí. Bayanhot has the best hotel facilities and best choices. As you need a permit to travel to Éjìnà Qí, you will be asked for that at any hotel you wish to stay at, but not all hotels accept foreigners, so it's perhaps best to visit the town as a day trip.
All three towns in the region are well supplied with restaurants, but Bayanhot has the best selection.
Jinsha Holiday HotelHOTEL$$
(金沙假日大酒店; Jīnshā Jiàrì Dàjiǔdiàn %0483 602 6666; Badanjilin Nanlu; 巴丹吉林南路 d from ¥220, ste ¥500; W)
This hotel in Ālāshàn Yòuqí has stylish and clean rooms with a sharp, modern finish and reasonable service, providing a comfortable base in town for trips to the sands.
8Getting There & Away
Recently constructed airports serve Éjìnà Qí (额济纳旗), Ālāshàn Yòuqí (阿拉善右旗; also known as Badanjilin) and Bayanhot (阿拉善左旗; Ālāshàn Zuǒqí), together known as the Alxa League airports. Each airport is very small and only equipped for small 50-seat planes, with flights from A
lxa Left Banner Bayanhot Airport to Hohhot and Xī'ān and flights from Ejin Banner Taolai Airport (额济纳旗桃来机场; Éjìnà Qí Táolái Jīchǎng ) to Xī'ān. Planes from Alxa Right Banner Badanjilin Airport (阿拉善右旗巴丹吉林机场; Ālāshān Yòuqí Bādānjílín Jīchǎng ) only fly to the other two Alxa League airports.
You can access the region overland by bus either to Bayanhot from Bāotóu or from Yīnchuān, the latter being far closer, with regular buses only taking two to three hours to reach Bayanhot.
The closest rail links are in Gānsù province. Two daily buses (¥24, 90 minutes) travel between Ālāshàn Yòuqí (departing at 10am and 3.30pm) and Shāndān Xiàn (山丹县) in Gānsù province, from where you can take trains to Lánzhóu, Dūnhuáng and Urumqi. In the other direction, buses from Shāndān Xiàn leave for Ālāshàn Yòuqí at 10am and 3pm. Two daily buses (¥39, 2½ hours) also leave Ālāshàn Yòuqí for Zhāngyè in Gānsù province, departing at 8.30am and 3pm. From Zhāngyè, buses leave for Ālāshàn Yòuqí at 9am and 3pm. Other buses from Ālāshàn Yòuqí include two daily departures to Héxībǎo (河西堡; ¥34, three hours), also in Gānsù province, and Mínqín (民勤; ¥39, three hours), from where you can connect with long-distance buses onwards and outwards.
Badanjilin Travel ServiceTICKETS
Lonely Planet China Page 185