What is the Hongshan culture?

A Neolithic culture of north-east China and southern Inner Mongolia, dated to about 4700–2900 BCE and named after Hongshan, the red hill at Chifeng. It is known for carved jades, especially coiled dragon-like figures, and for ceremonial sites such as Niuheliang in Liaoning.

A people of the Xar Moron valley who founded the Liao dynasty (916–1125), which ruled north-east China and Mongolia and parts of north China. The name Cathay, used in medieval Europe for China, derives from Khitan. Their Supreme and Central Capitals lie within Chifeng.

Historic city · Scenic area · Inner Mongolia

Chifeng

赤峰 (Chìfēng)

Hongshan jades and the capitals of the Khitan Liao

Chifeng is a prefecture-level city in south-eastern Inner Mongolia, on the upper Liao River system between the Yanshan hills and the grasslands. It is the type site of the Neolithic Hongshan culture, known for its jade dragons, and holds the ruins of the Supreme and Central Capitals of the Khitan Liao dynasty, as well as the Hexigten landscapes of granite stone forests, lakes and grassland.

ProvinceInner Mongolia

Key facts

Province: Inner Mongolia
Administrative level: Prefecture-level city
Area: about 90,000 km²[1]
Resident population: 4.04 million(as of 2020 census)[2]
Hongshan culture: c. 4700–2900 BCE

Overview

Chifeng lies where the farmland of north-east China meets the Mongolian Plateau, with the Xar Moron and Laoha rivers flowing east to form the Liao River. This transitional zone was home to some of the earliest complex societies of north-east Asia and later to the Khitan, who founded the Liao dynasty.

The modern city is an agricultural and mining centre whose population is mostly Han, with a large Mongol minority in the northern banners. For visitors its interest lies in archaeology and in the scenery of Hexigten Banner, a UNESCO Global Geopark.

Names and nicknames

乌兰哈达 (Wūlán Hādá)
The Mongolian name Ulaanhad, “red rock”, after the red hill north-east of the city, of which Chifeng is the Chinese translation.
昭乌达盟 (Zhāowūdá Méng)
The Juu Uda League, the name of the region until it became the city of Chifeng in 1983.

History

The Hongshan culture, named after the red hill of Hongshanhou near the city, flourished around 4700–2900 BCE and produced carved jade dragons, turtles and cloud-shaped ornaments. The Bronze Age Lower Xiajiadian culture followed. The Khitan, who originated along the Xar Moron, founded the Liao dynasty and in 918 built their Supreme Capital at Linhuang, in today's Bairin Left Banner; the Central Capital was founded in Ningcheng in 1007. In the Qing the area was a Mongol league and the site of the Battle of Ulan Butong in 1690, where Kangxi's army fought the Dzungar ruler Galdan.

c. 4700–2900 BCE
Hongshan culture
Jade carving, painted pottery and ceremonial sites; the C-shaped jade dragon found at Sanxingtala in Ongniud Banner in 1971 is among the earliest Chinese dragon images.
918
Liao Supreme Capital founded
Abaoji, founder of the Khitan state, built a double walled city for his court and the Chinese population.
1007
Liao Central Capital founded
Built at Ningcheng; its great brick pagoda, the Damingta, still stands.
1690
Battle of Ulan Butong
The Qing army fought Galdan's Dzungar forces on the grassland of today's Hexigten Banner, halting his advance towards Beijing.
1935
Hongshanhou excavation
Excavations at the red hill near the city led to the naming of the Hongshan culture in the 1950s.
1983
City of Chifeng established
The Juu Uda League was reorganised as a prefecture-level city.

Landmarks

Museum
Chifeng Museum
赤峰博物馆 (Chìfēng Bówùguǎn)
Museum of the region's archaeology, from Hongshan jades to Liao gold and silver.
Historic site
Liao Supreme Capital ruins
辽上京遗址 (Liáo Shàngjīng Yízhǐ)
Earthen walls of the Khitan capital in Bairin Left Banner, with a museum.
Temple or shrine
Damingta
大明塔 (Dàmíng Tǎ)
The octagonal brick pagoda of the Liao Central Capital in Ningcheng, about 80 m high.
Nature
Hongshan
红山 (Hóng Shān)
The red hill north-east of the city that gave its name to both the city and the Neolithic culture.

Neighbourhoods

Hongshan District
红山区 (Hóngshān Qū)
The central district of the city.
Songshan District
松山区 (Sōngshān Qū)
The newer district across the Yingjin River.

Food

Duijia
对夹 (duìjiā)
A crisp flaky bun split and filled with slices of braised pork, the city's best-known snack.
Bomian
拨面 (bōmiàn)
Buckwheat noodles cut by pushing a long knife through the dough, served in mutton broth.

Culture

Chifeng calls itself one of the cradles of Chinese civilisation for the Hongshan culture, and its museums present the Liao as a dynasty of the region. Mongol traditions are strong in the northern banners, such as Ar Horqin, Bairin and Hexigten, where herding and Naadam festivals continue, while the southern counties are mainly Han farming country.

Getting around

Chifeng Station is on the Beijing–Shenyang high-speed railway's branch to Chifeng, giving direct trains to Beijing.
Chifeng Yulong Airport lies south-east of the city.
The banners and heritage sites are spread over a large area and are reached by road.

Day trips

Arshihaty stone forest
阿斯哈图石林 (Āsīhātú Shílín)
Granite pillars shaped by frost and wind on the ridges of Hexigten Banner.
Dali Nur
达里诺尔湖 (Dálǐnuò'ěr Hú)
A saline lake on the Hexigten grassland, a stopover for migrating swans and cranes.
Ulan Butong grassland
乌兰布统草原 (Wūlánbùtǒng Cǎoyuán)
Grassland and birch woods on the border with Hebei, site of the 1690 battle.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Chifeng Municipal People's Government — Chifeng Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
Chifeng — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)

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