Alashan or Alashan League is located at the west end of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It is adjacent to Mongolia in the north, adjoins the Great Wall in the south, neighbors on the Yellow River in the east, and leans against the Hosi Corridor in the west. On this 270,000-square-kilometer (104,247 square miles) land lives 28 ethnic groups including Han, Mongolian and Hui people. Reputed as the 'hometown of camel', Alashan is abundant in two-humped camel and the white down producing goat. The mysterious land is also a tourist paradise, attracting visitors by its brilliant ethnic culture, unique desert landscape and plentiful historical relics.
History
Alashan region is one of the birthplaces of human beings. Tens of thousands of years ago, during the Paleolithic Age, human beings appeared in this area. The Mandela Mountain Rock Paintings that was carved 6,000 years ago vividly depicted the ancestors' daily life. Having a profound history, Alashan has many historical sites and precious cultural relics, such as the ancient Badanjilin Desert and the Beisi Temple in Mount Helan where emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) left their inscriptions.
Climate
Lying in the hinterland of the Asia, being encircled by mountains and far away from the sea contributes to the typical continental climate of Alashan. Generally, it is short of rain while the wind is strong and sandy, thus the weather is always dry. The rainy season is usually in July, August and September. The annual amount of precipitation is 200 millimeter (7.87 inches) in the southeastern part and 40 millimeter (1.57 inches) in the northwestern part. The difference in temperature between day and night is large. The annual average temperature is 6 to 8.5 degrees Centigrade (42.8 to 47.3 degrees Fahrenheit); the lowest temperature -36.4 degrees Centigrade (-33.5 degrees Fahrenheit) is in January while the highest temperature 41.7 degrees Centigrade (107 degrees Fahrenheit) is in winter.
Tourist Resources
The well-known Black City Remains used to be the town of military importance during the Han (206 BC - 220 AD), Tang (618 - 907) and the Yuan (1271 - 1368) dynasties; it was also an important pass of the Silk Road, which the famous poet of the Tang Dynasty, Wang Wei and the noted Italian traveler Marco Polo have mentioned in their works. The majestic Mount Helan is another spectacular attraction of Alashan. Traveling there, you may admire the natural scenery of the lush forest and see many wild plants and rare animals that you might have never seen. In addition, the Badanjilin Desert is considered as the 'King of Sand Hill' and has been appraised as the most beautiful desert of China by Chinese National Geography.
What to see: Badanjilin Desert
