Xilamuren Prairie

Situated about 90 kilometers north to Hohhot City, Xilamuren Prairie is a famous tourist summer resort and a must-see attraction in Inner Mongolia. From here, visitors can stay with the Mongols to experience their lifestyle and Mongol food. As the earliest grassland opened to public for visit, Xilamuren Prairie has the most beautiful scenery in summer and autumn.

Sceneries on the Grassland

Covering an area of 714 square kilometers, Xilamuren Prairie is flowed through with Xilamuren River. Lush grass, herds of cattle and sheep, rolling mountains, large collection of cultural relics and profound ethnic culture, endow the grassland beautiful scenery which attracts visitors from home and abroad. Famous scenic spots include Xilituzhao Lamasery, Honggerer Aobao and Grassland Folk Museum.

Xilituzhao Lamasery is the most famous attractions among the three. As a summer resort built in 1769 for the Xilituzhao Living Buddha, the lamasery is also called Puhui Temple and adds unique color to the grassland. Like many other traditional lamaseries, the temple is composed of Hall of Four Heavenly Kings, Mahavira Hall and other assisted halls.

Passing the bridge behind the temple, visitors can climb to the hill to get a panoramic view of the endless grassland. There are 62 Mongolian yurts serving as hotels for tourists and offering exotic ethnic foods. After appreciating the yurts, tourist can ride a horse to experience the beautiful scenery of this natural summer resort.

Besides, there are also Relics of Northern Wei Dynasty (386-557) Great Wall and an ancient well dug in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Honggerer Aobao, the largest one in the grassland, is a stone pile in memory of those heroes in ancient times and the annual Nadam Festival is held at here.

Activities

There is annual Nadam Festival, a tourism festival in July or August, held on the Xilamuren Prairie. During the festival, visitors can enjoy various ethnic activities and enjoy delicious local foods such as roast whole lamb, instant boiled sliced mutton and various dairy products. Horse racing, wrestling and archery are called three skills of a Mongolian man.

Worshiping Aobao is another folk custom peculiar to Mongolians. Aobao is a stone pile symbolizing the mountains. Mongolians believe that if you pick up a stone from Aobao to walk clockwise around the pile while making a wish and putting the stone back, your wish will come true. Today, the ceremony is used by young people to date with each other and the famous folk song Dating at Aobao is said to bed derived from this custom.

In addition, tourists can also pay a visit to the herdsman’s family to experience their traditional way of lifestyle. A trip to the Xilamuren Prairie is certainly your wise choice.