A Must-Do in This Lifetime! The Great Hunsandake Desert Self-Drive Grand Loop!

🚙 The 2025 "Dragon Head Festival" is approaching, and Xilingol will also welcome its annual grand event—the Hunsandake Desert Self-Drive Grand Loop "February 2nd Dragon Raising Its Head" Car Rally! 🎉 The event will take place from February 28 to March 4 in Zhenglan Banner, Duolun County, and Xilinhot City! Visitors can watch the thrilling scenes, see cars speeding by, and hear the roar of engines! 🚗 For self-driving travel enthusiasts, here is a highly recommended detailed guide for the [Hunsandake Desert Self-Drive Grand Loop]. Please save it! ↓ 🚩【Route Overview】 👉️ This route centers on the diverse landscapes of the Hunsandake Desert, one of China's top ten deserts. It connects Xilingol's folk culture, culinary culture, clothing culture, and cultural and creative specialties, gathering natural tourism resources such as grasslands, deserts, lakes, and volcanoes. Visitors can enjoy driving while appreciating natural scenery and experiencing local culture! - 🚩【Recommended Itinerary】 3-day tour: Beijing → Duolun County → Zhenglan Banner → Xilinhot Detailed itinerary: Day1️⃣ Beijing → Duolun County Check-in spots ✅ Duolun Lake 🎟️ Ticket: Approx. ¥40 ⏰ Opening hours: 07:00-19:00 Beautiful Duolun Lake is surrounded by mountains, grasslands, and deserts, offering diverse natural landscapes. There is a lakeside trail for hiking and oxygen intake, a viewing platform for scenic views; you can drive around the lake to enjoy the scenery or take a boat ride, engage in water activities, or fishing. · ✅ Countryside Park 🎟️ Ticket: Approx. ¥200 (including vehicle) ⏰ Opening hours: 08:30-18:00 The park mainly features motor vehicle off-road sightseeing, with tent campsites, RV campsites, and an automobile museum. Besides off-road sightseeing, visitors can experience desert hiking, horseback riding, camel riding, sand sliding, and grass sliding. · ✅ Duolun County Luanhe Source National Forest Park 🎟️ Ticket: Approx. ¥40 ⏰ Opening hours: 08:00-18:00 The forest park covers forests, grasslands, wetlands, rivers, lakes, and deserts. The elm forest here is the largest, oldest, and best-preserved natural elm forest in Asia! In spring and summer, the elm forest looks like emeralds embedded in a golden sand sea; in autumn, it is a mix of green and gold; in winter, it features the rare elm rime phenomenon, offering unique seasonal charm! 📌Tips 🥢 Restaurant recommendations: Duolun County Xilaishun Classic Hotpot, Lvda Hotpot, Hailun Meat Pie Shop, Duolun Lamb Restaurant. 🛏️ Accommodation recommendations: Duolun County Grand Hotel, Duolun Huimeng Street Hanting Hotel. - Day2️⃣ Duolun → Zhenglan Banner 🚙 Check-in spots ✅ Yuan Shangdu Ruins Tourist Area 🎟️ Ticket: Approx. ¥40 ⏰ Opening hours: 09:00-17:00 The Yuan Shangdu Ruins are located on the vast Jinlianchuan Grassland. It is the earliest established, longest-standing, and best-preserved capital site of the Yuan Dynasty in China and is listed as a World Cultural Heritage site. Besides visiting the ruins, you can also visit the Xilingol Cultural Heritage Museum and stroll along the boardwalk to enjoy the grassland scenery. · ✅ Zhenglan Banner Cheese Reception Hall 🎟️ Ticket: Free ⏰ Opening hours: 08:30-18:00 Visitors wanting to take home local specialties and intangible cultural heritage creative products from Zhenglan Banner must visit the Cheese Reception Hall! Here you can find delicious Zhenglan Banner cheese and Hunsandake beef and mutton, along with Mongolian yurts, dairy products, felt shows, ethnic costumes, wrestling, saddles, root carving, and other intangible cultural heritage items. It's a great place to explore! · ✅ Shangdu Lake Pristine Ecotourism Area 🎟️ Ticket: Approx. ¥20 ⏰ Opening hours: Open all day This tourist area focuses on the Xilingol Grassland and Hunsandake Desert, featuring lakes, wetlands, deserts, and sparse forest grasslands. Visitors can enjoy natural scenery, experience the life of farmers and herders, appreciate nomadic culture, and participate in outdoor activities. · ✅ Hunsandake Desert 🎟️ Ticket: Free ⏰ Opening hours: Open all day The Hunsandake Desert stretches about 450 kilometers east to west, covering approximately 52,000 square kilometers. It contains the Luanhe River system and the Hu'erchagan Nao'er water system, with 142 lakes, 16 springs, and 21 rivers. Known as the "Garden Desert" and "South of the Great Wall," it is perfect for self-driving adventures! 📌Tips 🥢 Restaurant recommendations: Shangdu Town Yuanzhongyuan Hotpot, Baikal Buryat Flavor Restaurant, New Era Mongolian Restaurant. 🛏️ Accommodation recommendations: Zhenglan Banner Xihuaxuan Hotel, Boting Hotel, Bailongxuan Hotel, Baigeli Ecotourism Homestay. - Day3️⃣ Zhenglan Banner → Xilinhot 🚙 Check-in spots ✅ Madu Core Area Cultural Ecotourism Zone 🎟️ Ticket: Free ⏰ Opening hours: Open all day The tourism zone features a speed horse racing track, indoor and outdoor equestrian arenas, Madu Clubhouse, large indoor stables, outdoor training grounds, comprehensive stands, cross-country obstacle courses, equestrian sports school, horse museum, horse culture commercial plaza, Madu camp, summer outdoor amusement park, ski resort, and Madu Night City, offering a rich experience to meet various visitor needs. · ✅ Shoufang Xilingol Cheese Cultural Industry Park 🎟️ Ticket: Free ⏰ Opening hours: Open all day This industrial park is a comprehensive cultural tourism area themed on Xilingol cheese culture, integrating cheese production and processing, specialty product exhibitions and sales, trade fairs, cultural creativity, research and education, and tourism leisure. Visitors can taste and purchase a wide variety of Xilingol dairy products and other specialties, and experience Xilingol's cheese culture and intangible cultural heritage. · ✅ Xilingol Tourism Nadam Cultural Park Scenic Area 🎟️ Ticket: Free ⏰ Opening hours: Open during the annual Nadam Festival in July The cultural park opens during the month-long Nadam Festival, offering visitors exciting traditional sports competitions such as horse racing, wrestling, and archery. It also hosts intangible cultural heritage protection exhibitions, flower festivals, cultural and creative festivals, white horse culture festivals, large-scale live performances, and more. Special activities for visitors include grassland triathlon, grassland volcano crossing, cycling, hiking, equestrian sports, and night tours. 📌Tips 🥢 Restaurant recommendations: Lvda Hotpot, Chunhui Traditional Hotpot, Erdun Hotpot, Baima Restaurant, Jiuyuan International, Yellow Crane Tower Restaurant. 🛏️ Accommodation recommendations: Yuanhe Jianguo Hotel, Jiuyuan International Hotel, Mongolia Hotel, Xilinhot Hotel. - ❤️ Spring is coming, the weather is warming up. Choose a weekend or a three-day short holiday, bring your family, and enjoy a self-drive tour of the Hunsandake Desert! Admire the grassland and desert scenery, savor delicious beef, mutton, and dairy products, and experience the grassland folk culture! Image source: Vast Grassland Xilingol Cultural Tourism Xilinhot · Xilingol League #IceSnowCrossing #XilingolLeague #SelfDriveTour