If there is only one place to go to many grasslands in Inner Mongolia, you must choose Keshiketen. The landscape of Keshikten Banner is quite rich, covering almost all the landscapes in Inner Mongolia, including sandy land, grassland, lakes, peak forests, pastures, and flower sea. Sand cross-country, grassland horseback riding, pasture roast sheep, starry sky homestay, very playable. A visit to Keshiketen Banner is equivalent to a tour of the whole Inner Mongolia.
This is the nearest prairie to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, located between Hebei and Inner Mongolia, which is very suitable for friends from surrounding provinces and cities to travel. The Great Khingan Mountains and Yanshan Mountains meet here, and the Northeast Plain and the Inner Mongolian Plateau are located on the east and west sides respectively. The complex geographical environment creates a unique and rich natural landscape here.
We started from Beijing, and the whole round trip was nearly 1200 kilometers. Go out of Beijing from Huairou District and march 460 kilometers north. First, climb over the Yanshan Mountains and pass many beautiful forest parks and small scenic spots along the way. Most of the landscapes are mountain forests, clear pools and streams, which are suitable for weekend outings. After arriving at Bashang, you will enter the the Inner Mongolian Plateau. After arriving at Ulan Butong Grassland, you will enter Keshiketen Banner, the first stop of grassland tour.
Ulan Butong grassland – the wild grassland
After a journey of more than 400 kilometers, you can rest in Ulaanbautung first, and then start the next day. The starry sky on the grassland is particularly dazzling. For Ulan Butong, which has no light source pollution, starlight and moonlight are undoubtedly one of the most important light sources at night. When I woke up the next morning, the horizon covered by the green blanket was clearer than that of yesterday evening. It was also the royal Mulan paddock and the scene for many Qing palace dramas.
The scenic spots in the Ulan Butong Grassland are not far away. Go to the direction of the racetrack first, pass through the Aobaotu first, and the Hunshandak Sandy Land is to the northwest. Sand, grassland and river are intertwined. From light off-road to heavy off-road, you can find a suitable way to play. You can ride an off-road motorcycle on the sand dune, and the wheels roll up the flying sand. The speed and passion are fully released.
After passing the Aobaotu, we arrived at the racetrack. The sand dunes are flowing, making the landscape of the grassland different every day. If the cross-country driving in the sand just now is not enough, riding on the horse track may be more exciting. Compared with cars and motorcycles, these slightly wild grassland elves may be more difficult to tame, and the difficulty of riding is no less than that of sand motorcycles.
After taming the wild grassland, I will go to see the meat of the grassland. Five kilometers north of the racetrack is Princess Lake. Sand dunes, grasslands, wetlands and small lakes. From summer to autumn, from green eyes to yellow leaves, Princess Lake has its theme color in every season. Only by walking along the plank road and around the lake can you taste the softness of the grassland.
Dali Lake, lying on the Gongger Grassland
It takes about one day to visit the scenic spots in the Ulan Butong Grassland. Next, it will travel northwest to the next stop, Dali Lake, with a total distance of nearly 200 kilometers. There are highways and national highways. If you need supplies, you can go to Jingpeng Town of Keshikten Banner to buy daily necessities. Then you can drive along the Danxi-Xi’an Expressway and Jixi Line. At the Gongger Toll Station, you need to drive out of the expressway, and the 4.8 million mu Gongger Grassland will come into view. The straight grassland road runs through the grassland and extends to the horizon. In summer, the grassland is full of colorful wild flowers, mainly persimmons, which make the grassland colorful.
To the south of Gongger Grassland is Dali Lake, the second largest lake in Inner Mongolia. This is one of the few lakes in the grassland with vast water area. If it is rainy, it is too vague to see the opposite bank, and Dali Lake looks like the sea. Mantuo Mountain Manor and Blue Sea and Silver Beach along the coast are excellent scenic spots for Dali Lake. With a slightly higher terrain, you can overlook the full view of Dali Lake. There is such a magnificent lake in the grassland.
Dada Line, the most beautiful grassland highway in China
After visiting Dali Lake, you will turn to the northeast and drive into the deep grassland to find the Ashhatu Stone Forest. The grassland road from Dali Lake to Ashhatu Stone Forest is the Dada Line, which is known as the most beautiful grassland road in China. Just over 130 kilometers, you will enjoy the purest grassland scenery. U-shaped grassland roads rise and fall one after another on the land, connecting the uneven grassland. During driving, the grassland scenery is very three-dimensional.
In the summer of Inner Mongolia, the sea of flowers in the grassland has a new flowering season every few days. Every day, different colors are changing on the grassland. The scenery is different at any time. Along the grassland road, you can reach Bayan Chagan Sumu. White yurts are scattered in this grassland town. Smoke rises outside the yurts and the horse-headed harp is melodious.
After passing Bayan Chagan Sumu, you should turn the direction, move eastward and drive into the Greater Khingan Mountains. We usually only know the stone forest in Yunnan, but the Ashhatu stone forest in this forest area is also a 5A stone forest. The stone forest in Yunnan is magnificent, with concentrated landscape and sharp stone forest. The distribution of the Ashatu stone forest is relatively sparse. The stone forest is relatively blunt and not sharp, and the rock shape can be seen in layers. This stone forest is the product of the remains of glaciers and complements the surrounding grassland and woodland.
Arriving at the Ashhatu Stone Forest is also the end of the Keshikten Banner. I have experienced the vastness, tenderness and wildness of the grassland. The rest of the journey can be returned to Beijing via the expressway extending in all directions.