For Solitude and Sand, Try Inner Mongolia

There are few places in the world as barren, empty and isolated as the western plains of Inner Mongoliawhich is precisely the region’s draw. For a tourist who has seen it alland endured the throngs that pack most vacation spotsthe vast horizons of the northern steppe offer the perfect opportunity to get away from the familiar. Not to be confused with the independent country of Mongolia to the north, Inner Mongolia lies in a giant arc just beyond the Great Wall, stretching from Manchuria in the east all the way west to Xinjiangand occupying nearly one-eighth of China’s land mass.

The Han Chinese considered these northern lands, home to the indigenous, untamed Mongol hordes, to be outside the civilized world. And the Great Wall stands testimony to China’s long struggle to protect the Middle Kingdom from the nomadic barbarians. But the wall was no obstacle to the heirs of Genghis Khan and their marauding Mongolian warriors, who finally conquered Beijing in 1267. Still, in the khans’ time it was an arduous trek over desert and mountain to journey between the Mongolian heartland and Beijing. These days the trip is considerably easier; China United Airlines flies into a number of small commercial and military airports in Inner Mongolia. Or if time isn’t an issue, you can take an 11-hour train ride from Beijing to the provincial capital of Hohhot. Once you arrive, there is little in the way of tourist infrastructure, but for adventurers that’s part of the charm. In the east lie a few sizable communities, the most notable of which is Hohhot, a primarily Han Chinese city that hosts the province’s major industry, a university and a few hotels. As you head west, the terrain becomes more desolate and the Chinese influence fades. Since most tours are organized out of Hohhot, you have to travel long distances to reach the most spectacular western deserts. But the dramatic landscape along the way is its own reward.

Little in today’s Inner Mongolia resembles the mighty Mongol empire of the great khans. Chinese jeeps and motorcycles have largely replaced the hardy Mongolian ponies of the khans’ cavalry, and camels carry as many tourists as traders over the dunes of A-la Shan. But the storied deserts of the regionthe Gobi, the Tengger and the Badain Jaranstill offer a staggering variety of landscapes. Flat stretches of sand and rock alternate with Sahara-like dunes, dramatic canyons and plateaus covered with hardy shrubs. The extreme austerity makes you marvel that the Mongol hordes managed to survive, much less conquer all of Asia.

Just west of the A-la Shan Plain, some 700 km from Hohhot, the Helan Shan range rises to 3,600 m, and the landscape suddenly blooms with a stunning array of alpine trees, grasses and flowersan almost overwhelming riot of color for eyes accustomed to the dun of the desert. A new Buddhist temple nestles just below the summit. The Tibetan-style structure, painted in dazzling primary colors, was built to replace the previous temple, which was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.

Although few Inner Mongolians speak any English, it is impossible not to understand their hospitality. These hardy nomads are quick to smileand even quicker to drink. While most ancient Mongol culture has faded away, the greeting of guests with rice whiskey and traditional songs endures. Despite the surrounding desolation, Inner Mongolians manage to scare up impressive quantities of food and drink for visitors. Such feasts are inevitably accompanied by frequent shouts of “gambei!” or “bottoms up!” Rising to the challenge of the toasts is not only good manners, it greatly helps travelers enjoy (or survive) the multiple dishes of mutton and the occasional plate of camel pad, which has the consistency of leather but is nevertheless considered a great delicacy.

While the food and drink are generous, good shopping in Inner Mongolia is scarce. Aside from dealers offering polished desert stones and ridiculously cheap rice whiskey, there is little more to bring home than memories of the wide open grasslands and the charm of Mongolian nomads and herders. And soon even those delights may be hard to find. Despite the grandeur of the desert landscape, it is impossible not to notice the growing environmental catastrophe. Countless hills and rangelands are giving way to erosion, as millions of sheep and goats eat the sparse vegetation and lay the ground bare. In the end, the region’s very remoteness may be its downfallso few people get there to revel in its unique beauty that few are protesting its passing.