通辽市

Why this place

Tongliao is where the Horqin grassland begins to turn into the Horqin sandy land — a landscape of dunes and grass that is one of China's front lines against desertification. It has been Mongolian grazing country for centuries and is still mostly that.

What to see

• Horqin grassland and the Daqinggou nature reserve, a rare primeval forest in the sand
• Kulun Qi's Tibetan Buddhist temples, on the old road to Mongolia
• The sandy dunes along the Xiliao River, where you can see the dune-stabilisation work up close

What to eat

• Mongolian boiled mutton and milk tea
• Buckwheat noodles, a Horqin staple

Best time

June–September