鄂尔多斯市

Why this place

Ordos is known in China for two things: the mausoleum of Genghis Khan, which is the centre of Mongol ceremony and pilgrimage, and a decade of extraordinary wealth from coal, which built one of the strangest new cities in the country. The grassland is real and emptier than almost any you can reach from Beijing.

What to see

• The Mausoleum of Genghis Khan at Ejin Horo — the ceremonial centre of Mongol identity
• Kangbashi, the new city district, a striking example of China's boom-era urban planning
• Mausoleum and grassland at Xiangshawan, where dunes meet grassland, and the Kubuqi Desert

What to eat

• Mongolian mutton — Ordos lamb is a protected regional product
• Milk tea, milk skin and hand-held mutton

Best time

July–September; the Genghis Khan memorial rites are in spring and autumn