Summer Volcano Tour in Inner Mongolia (Part 2)

Chahar Volcano Group The Chahar Volcano Group was discovered in 2012 and last erupted 10,000 years ago. It consists of the Wulanhada Volcano Group and the Huanghuagou Volcano Group, located in Chahar Right Rear Banner and Chahar Right Middle Banner in Ulanqab, respectively. The former consists of more than 30 cone-shaped "Icelandic" volcanoes, with three volcano cones known as "Alchemy Furnaces" as the main attractions. The latter consists of a series of "ground pool" Hawaiian volcanoes, scattered across the Huitengxile Grassland along with windmills. The Wulanhada Volcano Group is located on both sides of National Highway 208. The northern Alchemy Furnace of Volcano No. 3 has a trail leading to the 30-meter-diameter crater. The middle Alchemy Furnace of Volcano No. 5 on the south side of the highway is the best-preserved, while the southern Alchemy Furnace of Volcano No. 6 has been severely damaged by mining, but this also allows for a rare view of the cone profile. The Huanghuagou Volcano Group is located at the western end of the Huitengxile Grassland. In addition to windmills, the vast grassland is also home to volcano ground pools below the surface and volcanic pumice stones scattered everywhere. If you're not a die-hard volcano fan, you can visit these ground pools and pumice stones while touring the Huanghuagou Scenic Area. Xilingol Volcano Group Xilingol is home to the most beautiful grasslands in Inner Mongolia, as well as the most unique volcanic landforms. The most accessible is Pingtou Mountain, located 30 km south of Xilinhot, the capital of the league. This mountain range, with its "flat-headed" peaks, was formed by Quaternary volcanic eruptions. The basalt mountain is covered with lush vegetation, and one of the peaks has a trail leading to the top platform. Shitiaoshan in Taibus Banner looks like a bundle of columns, but it is actually a columnar jointed volcanic rock formed by volcanic magma solidified over 200 million years ago. Abaga Banner, where the Abaga Volcano Group is located, has more than 200 basalt volcanoes, most of which are low and gentle. Chengjisibogedu Mountain is famous for its northern slope, which resembles the face of Genghis Khan. However, to see this view, it is best to move to the northeast side of the mountain. Chengjisibogedu Mountain has two other attractions: dozens of rock paintings on the western cliff and two obos on the mountain. If you happen to visit here in May of the lunar calendar, you can join the local obo worship activities. Arxan is relatively isolated, far from the main attractions of Hulunbuir. Apart from some attractions in Xing'an League, it is difficult to form a tourist route. You can take an overnight train from Shenyang to save at least one day. The Chahar Volcano Group is not far from Beijing and can be reached by car in half a day. The volcanic landscapes of Xilingol are relatively scattered and can be combined with local grassland scenic spots to form a tourist route.