10 Days in Chifeng

The museum sets out the Hongshan culture of some 5,000-6,000 years ago, named for this city's own hill; Erdaojingzi's 4,000-year-old mud-brick town, excavated in 2009-2010, sits under a protective hall south of town.

1. chifeng museum
2. chifeng hongshan site
3. chifeng erdaojingzi site

Dunes and water about 100 km north, named for the C-shaped jade dragon unearthed here in 1971 — 26 cm of dark green jade now in Beijing's National Museum; then three hours west to Jingpeng.

1. chifeng yulong sand lake

The Re-A road climbs from the springs of Reshui to Huanggangliang, 2,029 m and the high point of the Greater Khingan, then to Asihatu's granite pinnacles at about 1,700 m, part of the geopark UNESCO listed in 2005.

1. chifeng rea scenic road
2. chifeng huanggangliang
3. chifeng asihatu stone forest

Some 90 km of grassland road to Dali Nur, a lake of roughly 230 square kilometres with swans in migration; the earth walls of Yingchanglu on the south shore mark where the last Yuan court retreated in 1369.

1. chifeng dada scenic road
2. chifeng gongger grassland
3. chifeng dali lake
4. chifeng yingchanglu ruins

Two hours of rolling steppe brings the Hexigten grasslands of Ulan Butong, a film location ringed by birch and larch; sunset at the General's Pond wetland is the classic first stop.

1. chifeng wulanbutong

A morning around Princess Lake, then the honest cross-league day — Duolun belongs to Xilingol, an hour-plus west; its reservoir lake rings with forested shores and makes a calm afternoon.

1. chifeng wulanbutong
2. chifeng duolun lake

The Huiyong Temple complex rose after the 1691 assembly the Kangxi emperor convened at Duolun; then the road runs south over the ridge into Hebei for Chengde, about three hours from the lake.

1. chifeng huiyong temple
2. chifeng chengde summer resort

A full day inside Chengde's walled summer resort, built between 1703 and 1792 — lakes, pavilions and the hill half of the grounds; the temples outside the wall can wait for the morning.

1. chifeng chengde summer resort

The road home runs north through Karachin banner — the Qing-era prince's mansion begun in 1679 sits almost exactly on the way, and Chifeng's evening markets are a fair reward for the drive.

1. chifeng kalaqin princes mansion

A half-day loop through the forested Meilin Valley in the southern hills, a market snack back in town, then the evening train.

1. chifeng meilin valley
2. chifeng city markets