锡林郭勒盟

Why this place

Xilingol is the grassland in the middle of Inner Mongolia, and it is where Kublai Khan built Xanadu (Shangdu) — the summer capital that Marco Polo described. The grassland is open steppe, and it is the heart of Mongolian horse culture in China.

What to see

• The ruins of Xanadu (Yuanshangdu) — the site of Kublai Khan's summer capital
• Xilin Gol grassland itself, with the largest remaining horse herds in China
• The Xilingol museum in Xilinhot, for the Mongol and dinosaur layers

What to eat

• Mongolian roast lamb and hand-held mutton
• Milk tea, cheese and dried beef

Best time

July–August; Naadam is held in July