Who is the Top of China's Grasslands?
This article is specially produced by Volkswagen "Car-Net".
Across China's 9.6 million square kilometers of land,
a magical type of plant covers the surface.
▼Grassland coverage in China, mapped by Zhang Jing & Gong Xiangjie/Planet Research Institute.
Horqin Grassland, Xilingol Grassland,
numerous and exotic-sounding names,
not to mention pinpointing each of their locations.
The blue skies, white clouds, and lush grass here
are almost synonymous with China's grassland scenery.
▼Inner Mongolia Grassland, image source@VCG (please view horizontally).
It is also the grassland that has influenced China the most profoundly.
Clashing and merging with the agrarian civilization of the Central Plains,
together they shaped the magnificent history of China.
▼Khan Mountain in Huolingol City, featuring statues of Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan, photographer@Qiu Huining.
This is a land that belongs to the free,
and a home that belongs to the brave.
The southeast monsoon moving north from the Pacific Ocean
arrives here with its strength nearly spent.
▼The Inner Mongolia grasslands mentioned in this article include those north of the Yin Mountains and Yanshan Mountains, west of the Greater Khingan Range on the Inner Mongolia Plateau, as well as those southeast of the Greater Khingan Range within the administrative region of Inner Mongolia, including Chifeng City, Tongliao City, and the Hinggan League; the map below shows the location of Inner Mongolia grasslands in China, mapped by Zhang Jing & Gong Xiangjie/Planet Research Institute.
While in the Greater Khingan Range, Yin Mountains, Yanshan Mountains, etc.
Encircled by several mountain ranges
The already "weakened" summer monsoon crosses mountains and ridges
With its moisture significantly reduced
Precipitation decreases progressively from southeast to northwest
Annual precipitation is only about 400 millimeters
Precipitation further drops to around 150 millimeters
▼Mountains and rainfall distribution around the Inner Mongolia grasslands, mapped by Zhang Jing & Gong Xiangjie/Planet Research Institute
At the edges of forested areas in the eastern and southeastern mountains
Lies the most precipitation-rich region of the grasslands
As forests here "cling to life"
They either stand side by side, clearly distinct
▼Scattered woodland grassland in Hulunbuir, photographer@Scorpion
Or interweave in patches
▼Ulan Buton Grassland, photographer@Song Xinzi
As precipitation decreases and soil layers thin
Tall trees gradually struggle to survive
Leaving only more drought-resistant herbaceous plants
In areas with 350-450 millimeters of annual precipitation
Clustered grasses can reach about 60 centimeters in height
▼Autumn in the grasslands, photographer@Liu Chen
High-quality forage can account for 50-80%
Here, they can also feast and grow wildly
It is considered an extremely high-quality natural pasture
▼ Cattle herds in the Ulan Butong Grassland, photographer: Song Xinzi
When precipitation drops to 200-350 millimeters
The more extensive typical grasslands make their appearance
It is drier here than in meadow grasslands
With fewer grass species and shorter heights
▼ Herders and sheep flocks, alongside vast rapeseed fields, photographed near the Morigele River in the Hulunbuir Grassland, photographer: Qiu Huining
As winter turns to spring and summer shifts to autumn
The grassland becomes like an artist's palette for the earth
▼ Summer in the Ulan Butong Grassland, photographer: Xu Jianghua
▼ Autumn in the grassland, photographer: Liu Chen (please view horizontally)
In the past, when agricultural technology was underdeveloped
Most regions were unsuitable for farming
Yet here, vast stretches of high-quality forage thrived
Making it a prime location for developing animal husbandry
Thus, cattle raising, horse herding, and sheep grazing flourished
▼ Excerpt from "Luoyi Road" by Qiu Chuji, a Taoist poet of the Yuan Dynasty, recording his observations on the grassland
Gazing afar, mountains and rivers stretch endlessly, winds and mists linger as waters flow ceaselessly. How did creation shape heaven and earth, to this place where men set horses and cattle free.
Unlike agrarian peoples who are deeply attached to their land
in search of suitable pastures and water sources
As the saying goes, "No fixed abode, only following the seasons"
▼The above text is quoted from "Records of the Western Regions," and the photo below shows herders on the Bashang Grassland, photographer @ Shen Yong (please view horizontally)
Traditional nomadic peoples "live at the mercy of nature"
Long-distance migrations are fraught with hardships
This means people must unite
to find a glimmer of survival in the vast grasslands
Hence, "sharing food in times of plenty and rushing to help in times of need"
became a personality trait passed down through generations of nomads
▼Herders traveling together on the Xilingol Grassland, photographer @ Qiu Huining
They are bold, straightforward, and skilled in battle
all challenges they must face head-on
▼A sudden rainstorm on the Hulunbuir Grassland, photographer @ Chen Gang
The winds and tales of the four great grasslands
still silently echo in the howling western winds today
▼A herd of horses moving across the Bashang Grassland, stirring up a dust storm that blots out the sky, photographer @ Bashang Leader (please view horizontally)
South of the Gobi Desert near the border
lies the vast Ulanqab Grassland
▼Boundaries of the Ulanqab Grassland, map by @ Zhang Jing & Gong Xiangjie/Planet Research Institute
Stretching approximately 1,300 kilometers from east to west,
it separates two vastly different worlds.
Flowing eastward until it empties into the Bohai Sea,
it nurtures the fertile Hetao Plain spanning thousands of miles.
On the other side lies the arid and rain-scarce Inner Mongolia Plateau.
▼ The Yin Mountains, photographed by Li Qiong (please view horizontally).
Yet it boasts the legendary vast grasslands.
▼ Quoted from "The Song of Chile," with some believing Chilechuan refers to today's Tumochuan Plain in Inner Mongolia.
Chilechuan, beneath the Yin Mountains. The sky resembles a dome, covering the wilderness. Vast and blue the sky, boundless the land. The wind blows, grass bends, revealing cattle and sheep.
The rolling hills of Gegentala Grassland,
The Huituanxile Grassland with an average elevation exceeding 2,000 meters,
Still preserves the wild and expansive grassland scenery of yesteryears.
▼ Near Huituanxile Grassland in Ulanqab, photographed by Song Jiayin.
It gave rise to the first unified regime in Chinese history
established by a nomadic people.
The era of fragmented tribes ruling independently came to an end.
This leader, who upheld the belief that "land is the foundation of a nation,"
led the Xiongnu cavalry to conquer east and west, invincible in battle.
The once-prosperous Donghu, Yuezhi, and Loufan peoples
All submitted under the might of their bows and arrows.
For the first time in the history of the Mongolian grasslands
Its royal court was located in the Yin Mountains
Becoming the heart of this steppe empire
During the period when the Xiongnu territory was at its largest
Its domain stretched west to the Pamirs and east to the Liao River
North to Lake Baikal and south to the Qin Great Wall
▼Territory of the Xiongnu State, map by Zhang Jing & Gong Xiangjie/Planet Research Institute
More than 50 years after the death of Modu Chanyu
The renowned Western Han general Huo Qubing led his army north
And performed a sacrificial ceremony at Mount Langjuxu to commemorate his achievements
▼Ruins of the Western Han Gaoque Fortress, a strategic gateway for the Han people into the northern grasslands, photographer@Heitao K
Gradually fading away in the winds of the vast steppe
▼Some believe the "Vast Sea" refers to today's Lake Baikal; the following is quoted from "Book of Han: Xiongnu Biography"
After this, the Xiongnu fled far away, and there were no royal courts south of the desert
Sparse forest grasslands, meadow grasslands, and typical grasslands
▼Range of the Hulunbuir grasslands, map by Zhang Jing & Gong Xiangjie/Planet Research Institute
Thus, rivers originating from the surrounding mountains
Continuously converge into the low-lying grasslands
▼The Morigele River in the Hulunbuir grasslands, photographer@Liu Zhaoming
Forming even grander rivers
▼The Erguna River, into which the vast majority of rivers on the Hulunbuir Grassland eventually flow, is known as the Heilongjiang River in its lower reaches, photographer @ Liu Chen
Fed by rivers, rainfall, or springs
Lakes and ponds of various sizes are thus formed
Scattered across the vast grassland
As the "representative lake" of this land
The most proud pair of gems
Among the largest natural lakes
Hulun Lake covers an area of over 2,000 square kilometers
At its widest, its surface area rivals that of Taihu Lake in Jiangsu
▼Hulun Lake, locally known as "Dalai Lake," meaning "a lake like the sea," photographer @ Tangseng Frank
Historian Jian Bozan once called it
"The finest grassland since ancient times"
▼Hulunbuir pasture, photographer @ Li Jianbin (please view horizontally)
It became the cradle of numerous nomadic peoples
They thrived here, armed their forces
And awaited the conquest of a broader world
They originally lived for generations in the forests of the Greater Khingan Mountains
Only later did they cross the mountains and migrate south to the "Great Marsh"
Arriving at the lush Hulunbuir Grassland
▼Hulun Lake was anciently known as the "Great Marsh"; the image below shows herders and sheep on the Hulunbuir Grassland, image source @ VCG
Animal husbandry could provide a more abundant food source
Thus, the Xianbei tribes continued to grow stronger
At that time, it was the Eastern Han and Three Kingdoms period in the Central Plains
Leaving vast stretches of "empty" land behind
Then, the restless Xianbei tribes
Embarked on a grand-scale migration
▼ Herders relocating during migration, photographer @ Feixiang (please view horizontally)
The clan surname was Tuoba, also known as the "Tuoba Xianbei"
They set out from Hulunbuir in the northeastern tip of Inner Mongolia
Trekking all the way to the Chifeng area in the southeast
Then turning westward to the vicinity of Ulanqab near the northern foothills of the Yin Mountains
Covering thousands of miles over more than a century
It could be described as "high mountains and deep valleys, fraught with countless hardships"
▼ According to the "Book of Wei," the Xianbei encountered a massive mountain blocking their path during migration and could not proceed until a mythical horse-like creature guided them out; research suggests this "divine beast" was the reindeer herded by the Ewenki people of Hulunbuir today, photographer @ Lu Wen
The Central Plains tribes were divided, and regimes changed frequently
It was a time of chaos and turmoil
Facing off against the Han dynasties that retreated to the south
Marking the beginning of the Northern and Southern Dynasties era in Chinese history
▼ Territory of the Northern Wei, map by @ Zhang Jing & Gong Xiangjie/Planet Research Institute
Looking back on the Xianbei people's journey out of Hulunbuir
The journey of migrating thousands of miles and dominating the Central Plains
is not only a legend of a nation's rise
but also an epic of civilizational integration
Although the Northern Dynasties later experienced multiple divisions and power shifts
the Xianbei people ruled northern China for as long as 195 years
becoming the first nomadic group to establish dominance in the Central Plains
The agrarian civilization of the Central Plains and the nomadic civilization of the north
▼ The Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty and continued into the Tang Dynasty, photographer: Deng Guohui
Chinese civilization began to become diverse and vibrant
The traces left by this fusion
▼ The story of Mulan joining the army in place of her father recounts the Northern Wei's resistance against the Rouran, image source: Wikimedia Commons
Located in Xing'an League and Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia
it borders Hulunbuir to the north and Xilin Gol to the west
reaching the boundaries of Hebei and Liaoning provinces to the south
It is the only grassland in Inner Mongolia situated east of the Greater Khingan Mountains
encompassing the vast and fertile Songnen and Liaohe plains
▼ The extent of the Horqin Grassland, map by Zhang Jing & Gong Xiangjie/Planet Research Institute
Mountains, hills, and plains converge here
with diverse soil and vegetation types
▼ The rich vertical natural zones of Arxan, photographer: Derek Chen
▼Near Daqintala on the Horqin Grassland, by photographer Lu Qinping
Numerous nomadic tribes thrived here
including later groups like the Jurchen and Mongols
But if we speak of those who took root, founded a nation, and reached their peak here
they quietly emerged along the Xar Moron and Laoha River basins
▼Xar Moron River, by photographer Zhang Yihua (please view horizontally)
Its branch tribes were numerous, with constant internal strife
Ultimately, it unified the Khitan Eight Tribes with overwhelming force
and established the Khitan State in 916 AD
near present-day Bairin Left Banner, Chifeng City
the precursor to the mighty Liao Dynasty that dominated the north
At its peak, the Liao Dynasty's territory was vast
with its Upper Capital and Middle Capital both located on the Horqin Grassland
▼The Liao Middle Capital was situated west of present-day Ningcheng, Chifeng City, while the Western, Southern, and Eastern Capitals were near Datong (Shanxi), Beijing, and Liaoyang (Liaoning) respectively. Map by Zhang Jing & Gong Xiangjie/Planet Research Institute
Unlike most nomadic peoples, however
the Liao Dynasty, benefiting from the Songliao Plain
actively embraced agrarian civilization
For over 200 years, cities flourished and farmland expanded
It adopted a "governance by custom" policy in state institutions
applying Khitan systems to Khitans and Han systems to Han people
It can be said that as early as over 1000 years ago
they embarked on the path of "one country, two systems"
They implemented the imperial examination system and revered Buddhism
During the century-long peace with the Northern Song Dynasty
Exchanges in trade and culture reached unprecedented heights
▼ The Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple in Ying County, Shanxi, standing about 67 meters tall, is China's tallest wooden pagoda, built during the Liao Dynasty. Photographer: Wang Huan
The Yang Family Generals who resisted the Khitans and defended their homeland
The chivalrous and loyal Xiao Feng
Various stories and imaginations about the Khitans and the Central Plains people
Remain widely talked about even today
Between the Ulanqab and Horqin grasslands
Lies another famous grassland in China
▼ The extent of the Xilingol Grassland, including the grasslands in Xilingol League of Inner Mongolia and the northern Yanshan region of Hebei Province. Map by Zhang Jing & Gong Xiangjie/Planet Research Institute
It receives less rainfall than Hulunbuir
▼ The Ulgai River in the Xilingol Grassland is an inland river. Photographer: Nuomin He
Or stops in a depression
Forming lakes dotted at the river's end
▼ Dalinuo'er (also known as "Dali Lake") in the Xilingol Grassland. Photographer: Nuomin He
The Luan River and Yongding River systems flowing through the Bashang Grassland
▼ Sunset over the Luan River. Photographer: Li Jie (please view horizontally)
On the Zhenglan Banner grassland along the upper reaches of the Luan River
lies an exceptionally regular rectangular city wall ruin
yet its layout is immediately apparent
with outer city, imperial city, and palace city nested sequentially
The palace city alone covers 32 hectares
This is the ancient ruins of Xanadu
▼Ruins of Xanadu, base map from @Google Earth, annotated by Planet Research Institute
When traveler Marco Polo arrived here
he overflowed with praise for this capital and its palaces
▼Quoted from "The Travels of Marco Polo"
Shangdu was the capital built by Kublai Khan, who also constructed a marvelous palace of marble and various beautiful stones, with halls and chambers all gilded in gold, magnificent beyond compare.
The earliest capital of the powerful and prosperous Mongol Yuan Empire
This formidable nation born on the Hulun Buir grasslands
Turning back to 1260 AD
led Mongol cavalry to conquer lands north of the Huai River
renamed "Great Mongol State" as "Great Yuan"
with Shangdu serving as the summer capital
The Mongol cavalry campaigned north and south, east and west
nearly invincible and unstoppable
surpassing any dynasty in Chinese history
A unified empire established by nomadic peoples
▼ Territory of the Yuan Dynasty, map by Zhang Jing & Gong Xiangjie/Planet Research Institute
Yet under the brutal and oppressive rule of the Yuan Dynasty
The people rose up in rebellion
The once-mighty Mongol-Yuan Empire rapidly collapsed
But the story of these grasslands continues
In the Bashang region, south of the Xilingol grasslands
Hundreds of thousands, even millions, of fine steeds
Were continuously sent from here to the battlefield
Helping the Manchus secure a new golden age
▼ Horses grazing on Bashang grasslands, photo by Bashang Leader
Looking back over China's 2,000-year history
It's easy to see that in the first millennium
The agrarian civilization achieved unparalleled accomplishments
While in the second millennium
The increasingly powerful northern peoples maintained nearly 700 years of glory
All the clashing steeds and autumn winds have faded like passing clouds
All rights and wrongs, merits and faults, are left to the twilight mist
The grasslands no longer need armored horses and shining spears
Nor will civilizations clash in armed conflict
This is a land of freedom
On the vast, flat and open earth
With almost no obstacles or constraints
Even if the monsoon from the ocean struggles to reach here
The howling north and west winds
Meet no resistance on the flat terrain
On the Bashang Grassland south of Xilin Gol and north of the Yan Mountains
The average wind speed at 10 meters high can exceed 6 meters per second
The installed capacity has reached 2.33 million kilowatts
Nearly matching that of the Gezhouba Hydropower Station on the Yangtze River
▼Data source: Zhangbei County Government; Below is Zhangbei Wind Farm, photographer @Zhang Yihua (Please view horizontally)
The grassland has almost no topographic constraints
Rivers either meander freely, forming winding waterways
Or overflow, creating marshes and wetlands
Among the many twisting grassland rivers
The Morigele River on the Hulunbuir Grassland stands out
With its serpentine, endlessly looping course
▼Morigele River, known by some as the "Most Winding Water Under Heaven," photographer @Zhang Qiang (Please view horizontally)
The areas near grassland lakes are bustling with activity
Hundreds of migratory bird species come here to rest and breed
Among them are rare birds such as red-crowned cranes, swans, and wild geese
When they take to the sky in flocks
▼Wild ducks in the Hulunbuir grassland wetlands, photo by Zhang Degang
To adapt to the vast grassland environment
They evolved exceptional running skills
Establishing vast underground tunnel kingdoms
Always ready to launch the next attack
The grassland is teeming with the breath of life
▼Red fox cubs on the grassland, photo by Xu Yongchun
People's lives are equally free
For the herders who have lived here for generations
Social development and technological progress
Have gradually freed them from environmental constraints
People can preserve ancient customs
▼Nadam Fair, a traditional Mongolian festival featuring wrestling, horse racing, lassoing, and archery, photo by Yi Mo
And continue traditional ways of life
▼A car encountering a "sheep traffic jam," photographed near the Ulan Buton grassland, photo by Xiaoqiang Xiansen
This is no longer a desolate frontier
But a vast and free land
Awaiting exploration by a new generation
Today, numerous roads stretch across the grasslands
▼Zhangbei Bashang Grassland Sky Road, photographer @ Zhu Jinhua
Allowing people to explore the grasslands while
Either struggling to pinpoint driving routes accurately
Or finding it difficult to identify the direction ahead
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Not only can they customize navigation routes to their destinations
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▼Grassland Exploration Map, Cartography by Zhang Jing/Planet Research Institute
Which grasslands have you visited? Share your exploration stories and experiences.
Feel free to share with us in the comments section
Reviewer: Zhang Zhao Cover Photographer: Qiu Huining
P.S. Main references for this article: Hurile Sha's "Study on the Regional Distribution of Grassland Culture," Zhang Tiejun's "Northern Grassland Nomadic Ethnic Groups and Chinese History," "China Natural Resources Series: Inner Mongolia Volume," "China Natural Resources Series: Grassland Volume," Zhang Minghua's "China's Grasslands," etc.