Hulunbuir Grasslands

Hulunbuir covers around a quarter of a million square kilometres of northeastern Inner Mongolia, named for the two large lakes Hulun and Buir, and it is generally regarded as the least degraded of China's major grasslands, with grass that in a good year grows high enough to hide sheep. The Mergel and Genhe rivers wind across it in extreme meanders, photographed from ridge viewpoints, and Mongol and Ewenki herding communities still work it, offering yurt stays, horse riding and food built on mutton and dairy. Winter temperatures fall below minus thirty and the season is short: the grass greens in June and yellows by September, with snow from October.

What you actually see

• The open steppe - grassland running to the horizon in every direction.
• The river meanders - the Mergel and Genhe winding across the plain.
• The herding camps - Mongol and Ewenki yurts, horses and flocks.
• The short green season - grass at its height in July and August.

When to go

June to September; July and August are the green peak and also when domestic tourism concentrates. September brings gold grass and fewer people. Winter is severe, with temperatures below minus thirty and most tourist facilities closed.

Honest expectations

Distances are enormous and a vehicle is essential; driving days of several hundred kilometres are normal. Tourist yurt camps vary from comfortable to basic, and some are staged rather than working. Roads outside main routes are rough.

Nearby

Manzhouli lies west on the Russian border; the Ergun wetlands are north.