Word: inners
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
There are few places in the world as barren, empty and isolated as the western plains of Inner Mongolia?which is precisely the region's draw. For a tourist who has seen it all?and endured the throngs that pack most vacation spots?the vast horizons of the northern steppe offer the perfect opportunity to get away from the familiar. Not to be confused with the independent country of Mongolia to the north, Inner Mongolia lies in a giant arc just beyond the Great Wall, stretching from Manchuria in the east all the way west to Xinjiang?and occupying nearly...
...finally conquered Beijing in 1267. Still, in the khans' time it was an arduous trek over desert and mountain to journey between the Mongolian heartland and Beijing. These days the trip is considerably easier; China United Airlines flies into a number of small commercial and military airports in Inner Mongolia. Or if time isn't an issue, you can take an 11-hour train ride from Beijing to the provincial capital of Hohhot. Once you arrive, there is little in the way of tourist infrastructure, but for adventurers that's part of the charm. In the east...
Little in today's Inner Mongolia resembles the mighty Mongol empire of the great khans. Chinese jeeps and motorcycles have largely replaced the hardy Mongolian ponies of the khans' cavalry, and camels carry as many tourists as traders over the dunes of A-la Shan. But the storied deserts of the region?the Gobi, the Tengger and the Badain Jaran?still offer a staggering variety of landscapes. Flat stretches of sand and rock alternate with Sahara-like dunes, dramatic canyons and plateaus covered with hardy shrubs. The extreme austerity makes you marvel that the Mongol hordes managed to survive, much...
Although few Inner Mongolians speak any English, it is impossible not to understand their hospitality. These hardy nomads are quick to smile?and even quicker to drink. While most ancient Mongol culture has faded away, the greeting of guests with rice whiskey and traditional songs endures. Despite the surrounding desolation, Inner Mongolians manage to scare up impressive quantities of food and drink for visitors. Such feasts are inevitably accompanied by frequent shouts of "gambei!" or "bottoms up!" Rising to the challenge of the toasts is not only good manners, it greatly helps travelers enjoy (or survive) the multiple dishes...
While the food and drink are generous, good shopping in Inner Mongolia is scarce. Aside from dealers offering polished desert stones and ridiculously cheap rice whiskey, there is little more to bring home than memories of the wide open grasslands and the charm of Mongolian nomads and herders. And soon even those delights may be hard to find. Despite the grandeur of the desert landscape, it is impossible not to notice the growing environmental catastrophe. Countless hills and rangelands are giving way to erosion, as millions of sheep and goats eat the sparse vegetation and lay the ground bare...