8 adventures to have in Inner Mongolia

While I’m in Baku for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, here’s a post about my favorite adventures from Inner Mongolia (which, to clarify, is in CHINA). I’ll be over here focusing on football and stuffing my face with Azerbaijani food. Enjoy.

For all that China has to offer, Inner Mongolia is often bypassed by travelers — especially those who are short on time and just try to score the heavy hitters like Beijing and Shanghai. However, this northern area is a prime location for adventure-seekers looking to experience more of China than pandas or skyscrapers.

Below are some ways to get your nature, history, and culture on in the province of Inner Mongolia and its neighbor, the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

NATURE

Walk or Ride through the Tengger Desert

Because of its close proximity to Mongolia, northern China can be quite dry and is facing increasing desertification. Bring sunglasses to protect your eyes from sand storms, then head out to the Tengger Desert where you can spend hours exploring the endless stretches of sand, either on foot or by camel. You can even camp out overnight in the desert, or pay a couple dollars to ride an ostrich.

Float Down the Yellow River on a Sheepskin Raft

The sheepskin raft has been around for at least 2000 years, allowing people to ferry goods and travel down the Huang He, China’s second longest river. The raft is made of the skins of several whole sheep, which are inflated then tied together underneath a wooden frame. Sheepskin was ideal as it was light to carry and safe for travel on the river’s swift current and rocky waters (if one sheepskin broke, you’d still stay afloat). These days you can still ride on one of these rafts to get a taste of life on the Huang He — just don’t stand up too quickly.

Hunt for Petroglyphs at Helan Gorge

The “Stone Forest” may seem drab at first, but there’s much more than just rocks at the Helan Gorge, located at the base of the Helan Mountains. For nature lovers, the Gorge is awe-inspiringly large, and hiking through the rocks makes you feel small as an ant, especially as you head towards the clouds.

For aspiring anthropologists, Helan Gorge is home to over 6,000 ancient stone carvings. While the meanings behind the petroglyphs are unknown (spiritual, societal, agricultural?) they feature engravings of humans, animals, and symbols; the most popular of which is the Sun God carving.

HISTORY

Pretend You’re a Film Star on a Chinese Movie Set

Ever want to channel your inner John Wayne (if your John Wayne was Chinese and preferred riding donkeys)? Do it at The West Film Studio, which was set up in 1992 by a famous Chinese writer and is now the setting for many a Chinese blockbuster. Visitors here can run around the open film lots and recreate their favorite movies with the props. You may even recognize a scene or two — I found the set of one of my all-time favorite movies: To Live, Zhang Yimou’s heart-wrenching tale of one family’s trials during the Cultural Revolution.

Frolic on the Not-so-Great Wall

Right at the Inner Mongolia and Ningxia border (literally — you can see the border sign across the road) there is a small stretch of the Great Wall that has fallen into great disrepair. It’s crumbly as an old biscuit and certainly no Badaling or Mutianyu; but if you’re driving between the provinces, find the section, climb it for a bit, and you can say you’ve been to a part of the Wall that few others have.

CULTURE

Expand Your Horizons at the Muslim Cultural Center

The “Hui” in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region refers to the ethnic minority who govern the area (very rare in China). Hui people are Muslim, meaning you’ll see and feel the Islamic influence everywhere: architecture, culture; and of course, food. Learn more about it all at the Muslim Cultural Center, located in Yinchuan, the capital of the region. A beautiful complex with several mosque-shaped buildings, you can spend hours here — not just walking through the exhibits, but also taking in the beautiful mosques and numerous fountains and ponds. The reflections at sunset are especially inspiring.

Try Donkey (…or Tea)

I love traveling through Muslim-influenced areas for one reason: the food. You simply won’t find a better lamb kebab (羊肉串) or bowl of pulled noodles (兰州拉面). That said, it can’t be all lamb all the time (or can it?) — donkey is also an option at some establishments. For a less adventurous culinary expedition, try 8-Treasures Tea (八宝茶), as the wolfberries in Yinchuan are supposedly some of the best in the world. I don’t know if that true, but I do know I’ve never had a pot of 8-treasures that has compared to the ones I drank in Yinchuan.

Feel at Peace in the Mountains of a Tibetan Monastery

There are a few Tibetan monasteries in Inner Mongolia, some more visited than others. I didn’t catch the name of the one pictured above, but I learned this: if you can find a monastery in the mountains, it’s more than worth the journey. Here you can breathe in crisp mountain air as you turn colorful prayer wheels or admire large white stupas that tower over you against blue skies. Watch prayer flags flapping in the wind, listen to the low hum of monks chanting morning till night; let all thoughts leave your mind. Up here, you could easily forget you’re in China — up here, you’re on top of the world.