8:30 – 19:00

30 RMB per person

Tel: 0475-8239021 Location: Within Horqin Left Middle Banner, 101 kilometers away from Tongliao City

Spring and Summer

0475-8239021

The total highway mileage of Tongliao City reaches 6,939 kilometers, including 1,918 kilometers of asphalt pavement. There are 278 bridges with a total linear length of 6,774 meters. The highway density stands at 11.6 kilometers per 100 square kilometers, and Tongliao has achieved highway access to all townships. Four national highways, namely G111, G303, G304 and G204, run through the city with a combined length of 901 kilometers.

At present, an interconnected crisscross transportation network centered on Horqin District has taken shape. It connects all banners, counties and cities within Tongliao, extends to all towns and sums, and links externally to core cities including Shenyang, Changchun and Jinzhou, as well as coastal ports such as Tianjin, Dalian, Yingkou and Qinhuangdao.

Tongliao boasts an extensive railway network. Six railways — Jitong, Jingtong, Tongrang, Dazheng, Pingqi and Tonghuo — traverse the whole territory, covering more than 1,000 kilometers within the city limits. Tongliao Railway Station ranks among China’s 40 key national railway hubs. Upon completion of the ongoing secondary-class six-yard marshalling project, the station will become one of the country’s 14 major freight marshalling stations.

Tongliao Airport can accommodate medium-sized passenger aircraft. Same-day round-trip flights operate on the Ulanhot–Tongliao–Beijing–Hohhot route.

Nestled deep in the magical Horqin Grassland lies a brilliant sapphire dotted with vivid hues — that is the Zhuri River Grassland Tourist Area. Located 102 kilometers from well-connected downtown Tongliao and 7 kilometers west of National Highway G304, the resort was officially approved as a state-funded expansion project by the National Tourism Administration in 1994 and falls under the jurisdiction of Tongliao Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism.

Covering a land area of 6,000 mu with a total construction area of 3,250 square meters, the entire complex features prominent ethnic Mongolian design. An aerial view reveals the layout shaped like an eagle spreading its wings. Five grand hall-style reception yurts stand atop a 1.2-meter-high platform, magnificent, elegant and resplendent. Luxurious banquet halls and song-and-dance performance halls flank the complex on the east and west sides respectively. This venue is ideal for hosting welcoming ceremonies for 150 guests, banquets for 300 people, entertainment events for 200 attendees, as well as shopping, communication, rest and photography.

On the western wing of the reception yurts sit 18 deluxe fixed yurts with 44 beds, each equipped with program-controlled telephones, closed-circuit televisions, shower rooms and restrooms. The eastern wing houses more than ten traditional ethnic Mongolian yurts that can accommodate 100 overnight guests. Staying here, visitors can fully immerse themselves in the unique charm of the horse-riding nomadic nation and enjoy dreamlike pastoral comfort.

Directly south of the building complex lies an international-standard horse racing track with a perimeter of 998 meters, where Tongliao’s annual Horse Racing Festival is held every year.

The tourist area offers a rich array of activities steeped in authentic Mongolian folk customs, including cavalry welcome ceremonies, horse racing shows, obo worship, Bokh (Mongolian wrestling) performances, home visits with local herdsmen, archery, Bulu throwing, camel riding and oxcart rides. Additional programs include bonfire galas and folk art performances. After enjoying these activities, guests can sample classic Horqin Mongolian delicacies such as hand-served mutton, whole roasted lamb and milk tea.

Blossoming flowers carpet the Zhuri River Grassland, presenting enchanting scenery with distinct charms in spring, summer and autumn. Resounding pastoral ballads and soul-stirring horsehead fiddle melodies unfold the timeless verse: "Boundless sky stretches far; boundless grass spreads wide. When wind sweeps the grass low, flocks of cattle and sheep come into sight." A trip to Zhuri River lets you experience the grassland of your dreams and the romance of nomadic horse culture.

To the due south of the main buildings stands an international-standard racecourse with a track stretching 1,000 linear meters, the venue for Tongliao’s annual Horse Racing Festival. The resort arranges diverse ethnic recreational activities for tourists: cavalry welcoming rituals, horse racing, wrestling and archery shows, as well as obo worship. Visitors may also try archery, Bulu throwing, horseback wandering, camel riding, oxcart touring, angling, bonfire parties and folk performances. Those eager to learn about grassland traditions and herdsmen’s daily lives can pay home visits to local nomadic families.

While dining within the resort, guests can taste signature Horqin grassland food, including hand-sliced lamb and assorted dairy products paired with milk tea. Here you can fully experience the one-of-a-kind allure of the horse-riding ethnic group, an unforgettable treat rarely found elsewhere.

Zhuri River Grassland Tourist Area hosts numerous domestic and international visitors year-round. Not long ago, exchange students from the United States and Canada visited the resort. When they laid eyes on patterned Mongolian yurts, the massive eagle-wing-shaped complex towering over the steppe, and grand murals of national heroes, they were deeply inspired by the profound Oriental ethnic culture and art hidden on the grassland. Excitedly, they exclaimed in halting Mandarin: "Napoleon, Lion of the Wilderness! Genghis Khan, Peerless Conqueror!" This legendary, serene pure land of Zhuri River Grassland calms visitors’ usual stress and impetuous minds. Fresh air, vast stretches of grassland and fragrant wildflowers make people feel as if they have wandered into a fairyland. Strolling across the endless green steppe, one feels its gentle, tranquil depth, as if conversing with a trusted wise friend. Especially after rainfall, the vivid emerald green spreads everywhere, quietly wrapping hearts in warmth. Each blade of grass glistens with crystal dewdrops, dotted with colorful small blooms that seem to tiptoe to greet travelers. Butterflies flit among flowers, insects chirp, eagles circle overhead, cattle and sheep fade into the rich green expanse, and flocks of sheep drift across the steppe like rolling clouds. Oxcarts loaded with tourists trundle slowly toward the grassland’s heart. The annual Horse Racing Festival held on August 18 is a grand Mongolian event featuring the three manly sports: horse racing, archery and wrestling. On this day, crowds converge here from all directions.

The food culture of Zhuri River Grassland delivers authentic steppe flavors. Sitting at a cool dining table, you will be served steaming milk tea and fragrant hand-served mutton, whose tempting aroma whets the appetite immensely. On the grassland, guests savor hearty chunks of lamb and sip strong white liquor. As the wine flows, thoughts drift like clouds lingering on mountain ridges. Melodies rise above the tables; drawn-out Mongolian folk songs carry the same distinctive character as ballads from the Loess Plateau. Gentle breezes carrying the scent of grass drift through the open grassland, stirring visitors to remember the national hero Gadameilin, and grow fond of hardworking, kind herdsmen, the rugged steppe and melodious horsehead fiddle tunes.

Grassland bonfire galas soothe the soul. When stars fill the sky and the faint glow of a crescent moon spills over the wide pasture, flames leap high, revealing the steppe’s mystery, profundity and grandeur. Amid the firelight, visitors from all lands dance freely: modern dance, Russian ballet, and Andai, the unreserved, bold folk dance of Horqin, which softens into graceful movements. Modern visitors blend artistic and ideological influences from across the globe.