Grassland · Inner Mongolia
Hulunbuir Grassland
呼伦贝尔草原
China's great meadow steppe between the Greater Khingan and the Mongolian border
The Hulunbuir Grassland is the vast steppe of north-eastern Inner Mongolia, lying west of the Greater Khingan Range and bordering Russia and Mongolia. Named after Hulun Lake and Buir Lake, it is among the best-preserved grasslands in China, a land of meandering rivers, lakes and herding communities of Mongol, Ewenki and Daur people.
- UNESCO biosphere reserve (Dalai Lake) · 2002
- Ramsar site (Dalai Lake) · 2002
- National nature reserve (Hulun Lake)
Key facts
- Named after
- Hulun Lake and Buir Lake
- Elevation
- about 550–1,000 m
- Ramsar and biosphere reserve
- Dalai (Hulun) Lake, 2002[1]
- Borders
- Russia and Mongolia
Overview
West of the forested Greater Khingan the land opens into rolling grassland that runs to the horizon and on into Mongolia. Hulunbuir's steppe covers several of the westernmost banners of the prefecture — New Barag Left and Right, Old Barag, Ewenki — with the city of Hailar at its centre and the border town of Manzhouli at its western edge. Rivers such as the Hailar, Morgele and Ergun wind in loops across the plain, lined with willows.
This is one of the historic cradles of steppe peoples: Xianbei, Khitan and Mongol power all grew from these pastures. Herding continues today, though most families now live in fixed houses and move to summer pastures rather than migrating year-round.
How the landscape formed
The grassland lies on the eastern Mongolian Plateau at about 550 to 1,000 metres, a gently undulating surface of old sediments and volcanic rocks covered with dark chernozem soils in the east and sandier soils in the west. Rainfall decreases from east to west, so the steppe changes from lush meadow steppe near the mountains to drier typical steppe towards Hulun Lake. Belts of sandy land with Mongolian pine run through the grassland. The rivers meander on wide, flat floodplains, drained northwards by the Ergun (Argun), the headstream of the Amur.
Highlights
Hulun Lake (Dalai Nur)
呼伦湖
One of the largest lakes in northern China, a shallow steppe lake with vast reed beds and bird colonies.
Morgele River
莫日格勒河
A river that loops across the steppe in tight meanders, called by the writer Lao She “the most winding river under heaven”.
Ergun wetland
额尔古纳湿地
Broad river wetlands near the Russian border, with birch-covered hills.
Jinzhanghan
金帐汗
A herders' summer camp on the Morgele, arranged to show traditional Mongol yurt life.
Manzhouli
满洲里
The border town on the railway to Russia at the western edge of the grassland.
Plants and wildlife
Hulunbuir's meadow steppe is among the most species-rich grasslands in China. Hulun Lake and its wetlands are a key breeding and staging area for water birds on the East Asian flyway. Overgrazing, mining and drought have caused sandy patches, and grazing is now regulated in protected areas.
Plants
Chinese wild rye
羊草
Leymus chinensis, the dominant grass of the meadow steppe and the basis of hay-making.
Mongolian Scots pine
樟子松
Grows naturally on sandy belts across the grassland around Hailar.
Chinese peony
芍药
Paeonia lactiflora, blooming wild across the meadows in June.
Wildlife
Mongolian gazelle
蒙原羚
Herds cross from Mongolia onto the western steppe.
Red-crowned crane
丹顶鹤
Breeds in the wetlands of the region.
Sanhe horse
三河马
A horse breed developed in the Three Rivers area near the Ergun.
Culture and legend
The Xianbei, who founded the Northern Wei dynasty, traced their origins to the forests and grasslands of this region, and Mongol clans lived here before and after Genghis Khan. Today the grassland is shared by Barag and other Mongol groups, Ewenki herders, Daur farmers and, along the Ergun, a Russian minority descended from settlers and mixed families. Summer is the time of the Naadam festival with wrestling, horse racing and archery, and of the aobao rites at stone cairns on hilltops.
Aobao
敖包
Stone cairns on hills and passes, honoured with offerings and walked around clockwise.
Naadam
那达慕
The summer festival of the “three manly games”: wrestling, horse racing and archery.
Shiwei Russian Ethnic Township
室韦俄罗斯族民族乡
A village of log houses on the Ergun facing Russia across the river.
History
1st–3rd centuries CE
Xianbei on the eastern steppe
The ancestors of the Northern Wei move from the Greater Khingan onto the Hulunbuir pastures.
12th–13th centuries
Mongol clans in the region
The grasslands near the Ergun and Hulun Lake are part of the early Mongol world.
1732
Qing garrisons at Hailar
The Qing settle Solon (Ewenki), Daur and Barag bannermen to guard the Russian frontier.
1901
Chinese Eastern Railway reaches Manzhouli
The line from Russia opens the grassland to trade and settlement.
2002
Dalai Lake listed internationally
Hulun Lake becomes a Ramsar site and UNESCO biosphere reserve.
Through the seasons
Spring
Late and windy; the grass greens only in late May.
Summer
Short, green and flowering, from late June to August — the main season, with long days and cool nights.
Autumn
Hay-making in September; the grass turns gold and the birches yellow. Snow may come in October.
Winter
Among the coldest in China, with temperatures far below freezing for months; winter herding life and snow festivals continue.
Routes and ways in
Hailar to Manzhouli
The road west across the steppe via Hulun Lake to the Russian border.
Ergun border road
North from Hailar through Ergun to Shiwei along the river border, passing wetlands, birch hills and Russian villages; usually two or three days.
Practical notes
- Hailar, the urban centre of Hulunbuir, has an airport and rail links; distances across the grassland are long.
- Weather changes quickly: summer days can be hot and nights near freezing; mosquitoes are fierce near water.
- Much of the grassland is private pasture; ask before entering herders' land, and never drive off tracks.
- Areas along the Russian and Mongolian borders are frontier zones where documents may be checked.
Cities to start from
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Dalai Lake Biosphere Reserve — UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Hulunbuir Municipal People's Government — Hulunbuir Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region People's Government — Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
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