Hulunbuir Overview

Best known for its vast and excellent pastures, as well as the amazing green landscape, diverse ethnic customs and exotic nomadic culture, Hulunbuir has always been the hot destination attracting millions of tourists every year. With sound economic development, the transportation of Hulunbuir is getting more conveniently, making it easier to travel in Hulunbuir. This part will give you overall information about Hulunbuir such as location, climate, attractions, festivals and travel tips, etc. 

Basic Information

• Chinese Name: 呼伦贝尔
• Location:Northeast of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Northeast of China.
• Government Seat: Hailar 
• Area: 252,777 square kilometers
• Population: 2,530,100 (2018)
• Minorities: Han, Mongol, Hui, Manchu, Daur, Evenki, Oroqen, Korean, etc.
• Language: Mongolian, Mandarin
• Airport: Hulunbuir Dongshan International Airport, Manzhouli Xijiao International Airport
• Railway Stations: Hailar Railway Station, Manzhouli Railway Station, Zhalantun Railway Station
• Famous Attractions: Hulunbuir Grassland, Genhe Wetland(根河湿地), Hulun Lake, Buir Lake, Hulunbuir Nationality Museum, Mammoth Park(猛犸公园), Zhalanaor Museum(扎赉诺尔博物馆), Golden Horde Mongolian Tribe(金帐汗国蒙古部落), Taiping Village in Hulunbuir City,Aoluguya Ewenke National Township( 敖鲁古雅鄂温克民族乡)

Geography

Hulunbuir city is located in east longitude of 115 ° 31 '- 126 ° 04', north latitude of 47 ° 05 '- 53 ° 20', with its width of 630 kilometers from east to west and 700 kilometers from south to north, covering an area of 252,777 square kilometers, accounting for 21.4 percent of the autonomous region and equivalent to the total area of Shandong and Jiangsu provinces. It is connected with the Hinggan League in the south, Nenjiang river in the east and Heilongjiang province in the east, Ergun river in the north and northwest and Russia in the north, and Mongolia in the west and southwest.

The land form of Hulunbuir: The western part of Hulunbuir lies in the northeast of Inner Mongolia plateau, 550-1000 meters above sea level, and is called Hulunbuir Grassland; Daxing’anling passes through the central Hulunbuir city from northeast to southwest, with an elevation of 700-1700 meters, forming the forest region of Hulunbuir. The eastern part is the eastern foot of Daxing’anling, there is an agricultural economic zone dominated by planting industry distributed in the northeast plain -- the edge of Songnen plain, with an altitude of 200-500 meters. The terrain generally features in high west and low east, with a slow transition from west to east.

Climate

 Hulunbuir enjoys a marked continental climate which features in long and cold winter, short and warm summer, dry and windy spring as well as autumn with sudden drop in temperature and early frost, as well as lack of heat, large temperature difference between day and night, high utilization rate of effective accumulated temperature, short frost-free period, abundant sunshine, large difference in precipitation, and the precipitation period mostly concentrated in July and August. 

Best Time to Visit

The best time to travel in Hulunbuir is from mid-May to mid-September, Hulunbuir at that time is a summer resort for tourists, and they can fully enjoy the grassland scenery. Another high time to visit Hulunbuir is from November to February, for tourists can have a pleasant ice and snow tour in Hulunbuir.

Administrative Divisions

Up to 2018, Hulunbuir has jurisdiction over 2 districts, 4 banners , 3 autonomous banners and 5 county-level cities, covering 68 towns, 19 townships (including 13 ethnic townships), 19 sumus (including 1 ethnic sumu), 36 sub-district offices. The people's government of Hulunbuir is located in Hailar district.

2 Municipal Districts:  Hailar District(海拉尔区), Jalainur District (扎赉诺尔区)

4 Bannners: Arun Banner(阿荣旗), New Barag Right Banner(新巴尔虎右旗), New Barag Left Banner(新巴尔虎左旗), Old Barag Banner(陈巴尔虎旗)

 3 Autonomous Banners:  Oroqen Autonomous Banner(鄂伦春自治旗), Ewenki Autonomous Banner(鄂温克族自治旗), Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner(莫力达瓦达斡尔族自治旗)

 5 County-level Cities: Manzhouli City (满洲里市), Zhalantun City (扎兰屯市), Yakeshi City (牙克石市), Genhe City (根河市), Ergun City (额尔古纳市)

Ethnic Culture

Hulunbuir is  home to 42 ethnic minorities including Han, Mongolian, Hui, Manchu and Korean, with the Mongol, Daur, Evenki and Oroqen as the major ones. The ethnic minorities with a large population have their own relatively concentrated residence; however it is not the residence of a single ethnic group, but a living area for multi-ethnic groups.  People in Hulunbuir also celebrates their traditional  festivals such as Nadam Festival, Aobao Meeting, Yi Mu'er Festival, Mi Kuolu Festival and Sebin Festival as well as other folk activities like Yangko dance, Errenzhuan, solo performance, ice sculpture, ice lantern and lantern exhibition. Tourists can have an indepth experience to the nomandic cultures if coming at the right time just for the festivals and activities.

Transportation

Hulunbuir can be available by air, train and long-distance bus from other major cities, through its major public transportation facilities: two major airport, Hulunbuir Dongshan International Airport and Manzhouli Xijiao International Airport, which have flights to most of the domestic cities and several neighbouring outbound cities such as Beijing, Harbin, Chengdu, Shanghai, Sanya, Xiamen, Seoul(Korea), Irkutsk(Russia), Choybalsan(Mongolia), etc.; three  railway stations, Hailar Railway Station, Manzhouli Railway Station and Zhalantun Railway Station; two major long distance bus stations, Hailar Bus Station and Manzhouli International Terminal, all these offer tourists more accesses to get in and out Hulunbuir.

Things to Do in Hulunbuir

Hulunbuir Grassland (呼伦贝尔大草原)

As the birthplace of Genghis Khan and China’s renowned pasture, Hulunbuir Grassland gives tourists amazing scenery by its vast and best-preserved pastures; it also holds the name "The Purest Prairie" since there is hardly any pollution there. You can try horse riding on the vast grassland to experience the horse-back lifestyle of the nomad. 

Genhe Wetland(根河湿地)

Covering an area of 126,000 hectares, Genhe Wetland is said to be the largest wetland in Asia.  It is currently the best-preserved wetland located in the intersection area of the Genhe River, Ergun River, De’erbu’er River and Hawu’er River. As the most complete and largest wetland in China, it boasts extraordinary beautiful landscape, with the Horseshoe Island as the typical one. The wetland presents different scenery in four seasons. Wetland covers almost all types of natural ecosystems in Erguna, except the primeval forests.During the dry season, it is an important refuge for many birds due to its stable water conditions and abundant wetlands.The limpid root river flows quietly, the winding water encircles the meadow, with fastidious bush and green scenes; while in autumn, the vegetation turns yellow, it looks glden from afar, presenting another magnificent scene.

Hulun Lake and Buir Lake (呼伦湖、贝尔湖)

Hulun Lake and Buir Lake, it is the origin of the naming of Hulunbuir. Hulun Lake is one of the five largest freshwater lakes in all of China, covering approximately 2,339 km². It is a summer resort attracting thousands of tourists every year with its cool climate, blue sky and white cloud constituting a wonderful landscape. Buir Lake themed for white sand beach, it is also the fertile water resource for fishery products, joining in the winter fishing is an exciting and unforgettable experience for tourists. 

Mammoth Park(猛犸公园)

Jalainur Mammoth Tourism Area is themed of Jalainur culture, which is a multi-functional tourist attraction integrating sightseeing and leisure, cultural experience, sports and entertainment, folk culture display, environmental protection, etc. It is also named Jalainur Mammoth Tourism Area (Mammoth Park).Mammoth sculptures in various shapes and poses, reflecting the ancient mammoth migration scene; the largest mammoth sculpture is 15 meters high, looking spectacular with high art value. The scenic spot was named the largest mammoth sculpture group in China by Guinness world records.

Golden Horde Mongolian Tribe(金帐汗国蒙古部落)

Established by Batu Khan, a grandson of Genghis Khan, Golden Horde, also called Kipchak Khanate, Russian designation for the Ulus Juchi, the western part of the Mongol empire, which flourished from the mid-13th century to the end of the 14th century. The Golden Horde was the group of settled Mongols who ruled over Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Moldova, and the Caucasus from the 1240s until 1502. By visiting the tribes, tourists can know more about the rise and fall of Mongol as well as experience the most authentic and original Mongolian customs. 

History

The history of Hulunbuir dated back to ancient times, and it has gone through many dynasties. In ancient times, the ancestors of Jalainur lived on Hulun Lake and created the original culture of Hulunbuir.
During the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), Hulunbuir was part of the Liaodong Commandery. During the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912), Hulunbuir was part of Heilongjiang province. From 1912-1949, during the Republic of China (ROC) period, Hulunbuir was part of Xing'an and Heilongjiang provinces.  In 1929, the Soviet Union broke this agreement and invaded Hulunbuir. After the Japanese invasion of China, Hulunbuir became part of the Japanese puppet state Manchukuo, which was not recognized by the Chinese. In the Chinese Civil War, the Communist Party of China gained the support of Inner Mongol leaders like Ulanhu by promising the irredentist expansion of Inner Mongolia into areas that had majorities of Han and Manchu peoples.
After the 1949 Communist revolution, Hulunbuir was annexed into Inner Mongolia, but the region kept economic ties to the rest of the northeast via the Chinese Eastern Railway. During the Cultural Revolution, the parts of historical Manchuria inside Inner Mongolia were briefly restored to their original provinces; Hulunbuir was given back to Heilongjiang from 1969 to 1979. Until October 10, 2001, Hulunbuir was administered as a League. The area is 263,953 km2 (101,913 sq mi) and had a population of 2.710 million in 2004, while the gross domestic product was RMB 21.326 billion. The jurisdiction area of the city is larger than all but 8 Chinese province-level divisions (and 42 U.S. states), although the actual urban agglomeration is just a very small part of the region, and the average population density of the area is very low.

Natural Resources

Water Resources

Hulunbuir city boasts a total water resource of 31,619 billion cubic meters, accounting for 56.4% of the autonomous region; wherein, 29.819 billion cubic meters are surface water and 1.8 billion cubic meters are underground water. The theoretical reserves of water energy resources are 2.46 million kW, covering 483,200 hectares of water area, accounting for 1% of China's surface water resources and 73% of the region's surface water resources. The total groundwater resource reaches 1.46 billion cubic meters. The city's per capita water resource is 11,000 cubic meters, higher than the world's per capita water resources, and 4.66 times China's per capita water resources.

Mineral Resources

More than 40 kinds of minerals have been discovered in Hulunbuir, with more than 370 mineral sites. 57 of them have been proved, including coal, petroleum, iron, copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum, gold, silver, rhenium, beryllium, indium, cadmium, pyrite, mirabilite, fluorite, barite, bromine and cement limestone, among which, the proven coal reserves are 30.67 billion tons, accounting for half of the northeastern economic zone and a prospective reserves of 100 billion tons. Now the city's annual output of raw coal is 13.886 million tons. The proven reserves of precious metals and other metals are: 32.9 tons of gold, 4,071 tons of silver, 1.36 million tons of copper, 623,100 tons of lead, 1,017,400 tons of zinc and 73.66 million tons of iron ore.

Plant Resources

Hulunbuir is rich in wild plant resources. There are more than 1600 kinds of wild plants, belonging to 165 categories and 615 families, with more than 1400 species of higher plants and 200 species of lower plants. There are more than 600 species of wild plants with economic value, including more than 540 species of medicinal plants. Hulunbuir boasts 190 million mu of forest land, accounting for 50% of the total land area of the city and 83.7% of the total land area of the autonomous region. The forest coverage rate of Hulunbuir city reaches 49%, and the total volume of live forest is 950 million cubic meters. The total volume of live forest in Hulunbuir city accounts for 93.6% of the autonomous region and 9.5% of China.

Animal Resources

Hulunbuir is home to various wildlife species in large quantity. According to incomplete statistics, there are 489 species of vertebrates in Hulunbuir city, accounting for 68.92% of the total number in the whole region and 11% of the total number in China, including 17 national key protected wild animals such as Siberian musk deer sika deer, wolverine,  martes zibellina bear, Chinese merganser, golden eagle, eastern imperial eagle, etc. In addition, 264 species of wild animals have been included in China's list of useful terrestrial wild animals with important economic and scientific value, 166 species of migratory birds have been included in the "Agreement between China and Japan on the Protection of Migratory Birds and Their Habitats", and 49 species of migratory birds have been included in the "Agreement between China and Australia on the Protection of Migratory Birds and Their Habitats".