巴彦淖尔市
Where the Yellow River makes its great northern loop
Why this place
Bayannur straddles the Yellow River's huge northern bend, so the land here is irrigated farmland in the middle of dry steppe — the Hetao plain, the 'loop' that Chinese dynasties fought over for a thousand years because whoever held it controlled the river road to the west.
What to see
- Hetao irrigation district — canals and wheat fields in the middle of the desert edge
- Urad grassland and the Urad Front Banner, with Mongolian temples
- Wuliangsuhai, one of the largest lakes on the Yellow River and a major bird stop
What to eat
- Hetao melons and sunflower seeds — the region is famous for them
- Yellow River carp and Mongolian mutton
Best time
May–October
HSKHSK 3
内蒙古自治区 · Inner Mongolia China Guide
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