When planning a trip to Bayan Nur, it is worth looking at the wider Bayannur region: its themes range from water conservancy on the Yellow River and the Hetao Plain to wetlands and regional culture.

Routes for Stays of Different Lengths

The wider Bayannur region has four themed tourism routes: a journey along the Yellow River, a discovery route focused on Yinshan culture, a route through Hetao villages, and a route exploring border and folk customs. They can be combined into travel plans lasting from one to five days. The “Peace on the Yellow River” cultural tour includes the Sanshenggong Water Conservancy Project, the Hetao Irrigation District and Ulansu Lake. This brings water conservancy, irrigation and a regional lake landscape together in a cultural travel context.

Water Conservancy and Wetlands

The Sanshenggong Water Conservancy Project is located at the Yellow River’s “几”-shaped bend. Construction began in 1959; it is the starting point of the Hetao Irrigation District. A national 4A-rated tourist attraction, the project combines sightseeing, recreation, outdoor sports and environmental education. Water conservancy here is therefore not just a landscape theme, but also brings together several designated activity areas.

In the associated township, the Yellow River Cultural Tourism Area lies on the Hetao Plain between Linhe and Shuanghe. It is the largest open wetland tourism area in Bayannur, was designated a national 4A-rated tourist attraction in 2014, and is located in Linhe District. It is also designated a national water-conservancy scenic area. Its main attractions include a wetland park and the Yellow River Water Conservancy Culture Museum; the area’s composition may change. In the north of Linhe District, Fuqiang Village was selected in 2019 as one of the first national key villages for rural tourism.

Landscapes and Regional Heritage

Ulansu Lake is one of China’s eight major freshwater lakes. Every summer, it attracts more than 200 different bird species and serves as an important migration corridor. The Hetao Plain lies south of the wider Bayannur region, and the Urad grasslands lie to the north. The Yinshan Mountains run through the region’s central area.

The Yinshan Mountains in the wider Bayannur region contain more than 50,000 rock carvings; the region is one of the world’s largest sites for this ancient art form. The irrigation district on the Hetao Plain was recognized as a site of the World Heritage Irrigation Structures (WHIS) in 2019. One account describes the dinosaur fossil belt at Bayin Manduhu in Urad Rear Banner as having China’s largest collection of Late Cretaceous dinosaur fossils. The culture of the wider Bayannur region combines customs from Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia, brought there through historical migrations.

Hetao Cuisine and Regional Connections

Hetao cuisine is represented by “twenty flavors”: four meat dishes, four fruits, four noodle dishes, four braised dishes and four snacks. The Hetao tomato is covered by China’s national protection system for geographical indications for agricultural products. Bayannur is known as China’s “Capital of Sheep”; according to one account, its annual market volume for mutton and lamb ranks first nationwide.

At the regional level, Bayannur is an important transport hub connecting North China with China’s northwest and southwest, as well as Mongolia. Landscapes, water conservancy, culture and cuisine offer different focuses for trip planning; the regional routes are also designed for periods of one to five days.

Discover more destinations: Wuhai, Ordos, Xilin Gol, Hohhot, Baotou, Hinggan, Alxa, Ulanqab

For the broader travel overview: Inner Mongolia.