Mongolian view

Many travellers use Huhehot as a base when taking a multi-day tour to the wilds of Inner Mongolia. These tours offer a chance to experience the nomadic lifestyle of the region, and camp with the local people. However, if you don’t have the time to spend several days in the wilderness, there are two great day trips you can make from Huhehot. These will still allow you to experience some of the outstanding natural beauty of the region.

Xilamuren Grasslands

The wide open prairies surrounding Huhehot are most often referred to as grasslands. Visiting these areas inhabited by nomadic ethnic Mongolians is the main reason tourists come to this region of China. You can visit some of the settlements closest to the city on a day trip, either by taking a bus, hiring a taxi or by joining an organised tour.

Going by bus will give you the chance to mingle with locals on the ride there, and it will also be the cheapest option if you’re on a tight budget. The ride to Xilamuren takes about two hours and buses leave hourly from the main bus station in the city. Be aware that the last buses back to Huhehot leave in the mid afternoon, so you won’t want to leave it too late.

If you come in late July, you’ll have the chance to witness the Naadam Fair in Xilamuren. This annual event showcases many aspects of traditional Mongolian culture, with singing, dancing and athletics performances as well as typical food from the region on offer.

Resonant Sand Bay

Desert The regional capital of Baotou, some 2.5 hours drive west of Huhehot, is unfortunately better known for industrial pollution than natural beauty. However, just 50 kilometres away is the natural dune formation in the stunning Kubuqi Desert.

It is worth visiting both for the visual spectacle and the legend surrounding its formation. Though its distance puts it at the outer limit of a reasonable day trip from Huhehot, it is not to be missed, and a visit here is something you’ll not soon forget.

Its name comes from the unexplained phenomenon that occurs as you slide down the dunes on a dry day. You’ll hear sounds seemingly coming from beneath the sand, and if you do it in a group the sounds can be so loud that it feels like the sand is trembling! Science has yet to explain why this happens. There is a legend surrounding the place, however, that claims to account for it. The legend says that there was once a lamasery (a monastery for lamas) in this place. One day when the lamas were chanting, a strong gust of wind swept in and covered the lamasery in sand. It buried it and trapped the lamas, and therefore their spirits and their voices too, beneath it.

A highlight for many visitors to these dunes is riding a camel through the desert. However, other highlights like paragliding or dune buggying are simple to arrange.