The world's finest grasslands — endless green steppe, Mongolian yurts and reindeer forest.
Hulunbuir in the far northeast of Inner Mongolia holds what many call the most beautiful grassland on Earth — a sea of green rolling to the horizon, dotted with yurts, herds and Russian-border towns like Manzhouli.
Further north, the Genhe valley is home to the Ewenki and their domesticated reindeer, a unique pocket of tundra culture.
Here are the highlights worth your time in Hulunbuir.
The endless steppe — horse rides and yurt stays.
Free / ranch feesA Russian-flavoured border town with onion domes.
Free to strollA vast river wetland, best at sunrise.
Tickets ¥65Meet the Ewenki reindeer herders up north.
¥50A forest railway in the taiga.
Tickets ¥100China's northernmost settlement, near the Amur.
FreeHulunbuir has its own kitchen — here are the dishes to try.
Boiled lamb, the steppe staple.
A whole lamb roasted for a feast.
Salty milk tea, drunk all day.
Heavy rye bread from the border towns.
Foraged greens in spring.
Song and dance on the steppe.
Manzhouli's Russian-themed pubs.
Almost no light pollution.
Hailar (HLD) is the hub.
Train from Harbin (~10 h) or Beijing.
A car is near-essential for the steppe.
To Manzhouli and the wetlands.
Works in Hailar town.
Where you stay shapes the trip. Three good bases:
On the grassland.
The base city.
Russian-style hotels.
Grassland lovers, road-trippers, photographers.
The best windows are Jun–Aug — comfortable weather and fewer extremes than summer or deep winter.
Plan 3–4 days for the core sights, or 5–6 if you want a relaxed pace with day trips. The high-speed rail network makes adding a nearby city easy.
Hailar (HLD) is the hub.
Hand Meat — Boiled lamb, the steppe staple. Don't miss the local night-market and tea-house scene.
Yes. China's cities are generally very safe, with low petty-crime rates and English signage growing in tourist areas. Carry your passport, use official apps (Alipay / WeChat Pay / DiDi) and you'll get around smoothly.
Written by the cncity.cc Editorial Team · Last updated: · Facts checked against official sources (Aug 2026).
