Trip to Changchun, Manzhouli, and Lake Baikal: Manzhouli

When train number 263 brought me to Hailar Station in the morning sunlight, I woke from a dream and looked blankly at the platform outside the window, wondering: Is this the Inner Mongolian grassland? Is this where Guo Jing grew up? Is this the birthplace of the Mongolian people? Is this the hometown of Genghis Khan? The shiny terrazzo floor on the platform and the station announcements on the broadcast were no different from other stations across the country, giving no hint of the vast green grasslands and herds of cattle and sheep. The passengers who arrived quickly dispersed, and only a few travelers heading to the final destination, Manzhouli, remained on the train. At that moment, I aimlessly glanced at the empty platform outside the window and saw a middle-aged couple, a man and a woman, still there. The woman was applying something to her husband's ear. Since the man was taller and they were standing face to face, the woman's movements seemed a bit strained. Suddenly, the husband turned around and squatted in front of his wife like a gentle dog. The wife's movements immediately became smooth, and she quickly finished applying the ointment. Then the husband stood up and, before I could react, grabbed his luggage from the ground and followed his wife off the platform. That unintentional scene added a touch of warmth to my grassland journey. The train started moving again, heading west toward my next city, Manzhouli. Manzhouli is located in the southwest of the Hulunbuir grassland and is the most famous county-level city in Hulunbuir. It sits at the junction of China, Mongolia, and Russia, and is China's largest land port city. Therefore, I chose Manzhouli as my transit point to Lake Baikal. As the train sped deeper into the grassland, I slowly connected the scenery before me with the Hulunbuir grassland described in books. The Hulunbuir grassland is in the northeast of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, between the Erguna River and the Greater Khingan Mountains. It borders Heilongjiang Province to the east, Russia to the north, and Mongolia to the west. It is a historic cultural crossroads of China, Mongolia, and Russia. Hulunbuir City covers about 253,000 square kilometers. Entering from the grassland gateway Hailar, a full tour usually takes about a week. Hailar, as the grassland gateway and the political, cultural, and economic center, is located in the southeast corner of Hulunbuir City. It is only 1.5 hours by flight from Beijing and 3 hours from Harbin, so most travelers choose Hailar to enter the Hulunbuir grassland. However, since I was just passing through, after passing Hailar and Zhalainuoer District, the train took me directly to the final stop, Manzhouli. Manzhouli Railway Station is not large, but as soon as I stepped out, the strong Russian atmosphere hit me. Near the station is a site of Russian residential buildings, a settlement of Russians who built the Chinese Eastern Railway in 1901. The area is full of sturdy Russian-style wooden houses (log cabins), which remain intact even after a century. Leaving the station, I went to Zhong-Su Jin Street to check into a hotel. This is the old town of Manzhouli and its bustling core. As a century-old trade hub, shop signs here still display Chinese, Mongolian, and Russian languages. Before arriving in Manzhouli, I was not very confident about traveling to Lake Baikal because the route is long and unconventional. So, right after checking into the hotel, I hurried to a local travel agency to inquire about related tours. After checking, I found there are multiple routes to Russia, and the Lake Baikal trip usually takes about a week. So, I booked the Lake Baikal itinerary and waited for departure. After arranging the trip and seeing I had enough time, I decided to take a short trip around Manzhouli. The journey started from Zhong-Su Jin Street, a century-old commercial street. At first glance, it was not very grand and looked a bit dull under the midday sun, like someone not fully awake. However, the five short commercial streets were densely packed with shops selling everything from fur and jewelry to clothing, Russian products, food, local specialties, and souvenirs, dazzling and overwhelming. But after wandering around, I felt a bit of a time-space displacement, as if I had entered a small wholesale market. In the afternoon, I went to Beihu Park in the northern part of Manzhouli city. The city is not large, and Beihu Park is within walking distance from Zhong-Su Jin Street. As I walked, I secretly laughed at myself: China has so many cities and parks, and I usually pass by without entering, yet here I was in such a remote city visiting a park, truly idle. At the sparsely populated north gate of the park, on a grassy slope that looked like a green velvet carpet, a huge, silly, rose-colored strawberry bear appeared first. It grinned foolishly, watching visitors coming and going, happily accepting cheers, hugs, and photo sessions from tourists nationwide. Entering the park, I almost doubted I was in Hong Kong: in front of me was a shimmering clear lake, with various splendid high-rise buildings lining the shore, resembling a Hong Kong harbor scene. I strolled along the quiet lakeside path, the breeze gentle, the lake sparkling. The magnificent buildings reflected in the water like wrinkled golden shadows floating on the surface. The modern architecture and natural beauty complemented each other, like a fairyland. Night fell, but I was reluctant to leave, waiting for the most beautiful night scene of Beihu Park, indescribable and captured in photos. My first day in Manzhouli ended with hesitation and surprise, and I looked forward to the grassland journey the next day. The next day, I planned to visit the Morigele River (186 Ribbon River). Due to the itinerary, Morigele River was the northernmost point of my grassland trip. The Morigele River (186 Ribbon River) is a section of the middle Erguna River. The Erguna River flows north from Hulun Lake and eventually joins the Heilongjiang River in the north, with a total length of about 1,600 kilometers. The town of Shiwei on the Erguna River is the birthplace of the Mongolian people. The 1689 Treaty of Nerchinsk between the Qing and Russian governments designated the Erguna River as the border river, turning it from an internal river into a boundary river. We departed from Manzhouli, heading north along the beautiful Erguna River. The river is not wide, winding like a ribbon, with clear flowing water, lush waterside grass, and herds of cattle and sheep, along with fishing families using nets. The car traveled a long time along the border road, and I didn’t realize I had reached the border area until a thick iron fence appeared in my view. I then realized this peaceful scenery was on the China-Russia border. Looking beyond the fence, I saw only endless grasslands and leisurely grazing sheep, cattle, and horses, with no sign of the strict vigilance typical of international borders. At that moment, I felt a deep appreciation for the beauty of peaceful times. Because the road was closed that day, we traveled an extra hundred miles, which allowed me to fully enjoy the magnificent and vast grassland scenery. In my mind, I kept imagining Guo Jing galloping and shooting eagles on the grassland, feeling a surge of heroic spirit. At this moment, I thought that only when study, life, reading, and travel combine can the travel experience become richer and more profound. Around noon, we arrived at the Morigele River (186 Ribbon River) scenic area, now developed into a grassland park integrating sightseeing, leisure, and entertainment. This is a paid attraction, with tickets available for entry, sightseeing vehicles, and grass skiing. When the sightseeing vehicle took me up a gentle grassy slope, the Erguna River scenery unfolded before my eyes: the blue ribbon-like Morigele River meandered through the green valley, with rows of white Mongolian yurts neatly arranged at the foot of the hills, looking like white mushrooms from afar. These are the park’s guesthouses. Standing on the hilltop viewing platform, overlooking the Hulunbuir grassland and the beautiful Morigele River, I felt a sense of transcendence. Perhaps influenced by the free spirit of the grassland, I decided to try grass skiing that day. After waiting in a long line, I sat on the grass ski board and rushed down the hill at lightning speed, feeling both nervous excitement and a joyful release. This must be the feeling of flying. When we left Morigele River fully satisfied, it was past noon. The car slowed down, and my heart calmed. In the afternoon sunshine, we began our return journey. On the way back, we passed Chen Barhu Banner, an important Mongolian tribe still living on the grassland according to traditional customs. Every summer, they hold the Nadam Festival, the grandest festival on the grassland, where herders dress in festive clothes to sing, dance, ride horses, shoot arrows, and wrestle, engaging in various traditional ethnic entertainments. However, these traditional programs have now become commercialized, attracting tourists from across China and the world to Hulunbuir grassland to participate, watch, and experience, becoming an essential local tourism attraction. (To be continued)