inner mongolia autonomous region

main cities of inner mongolia: hohhot , baotou , wuhai , hailar , manzhouli , tongliao , chifeng , jining , erenhot , ulanhot

the inner mongolia autonomous region, bordering both the republic of mongolia and russia to the north, is a province-level administrative region, that, of china's 31 provinces (these exclude hong kong and macau), is, by latitude, the widest. it is the third largest province in china, with an area of just under two million square kilometers, but is sparsely populated, the average square kilometer is home to only 12 people. much of the population (around 23 million) are centered around the city areas, especially in the capital hohhot and in the even larger industrial city of baotou.

to most foreigners, and many chinese, the name mongolia brings to mind rolling grasslands, thundering horseman hordes and the destructive, tyrannical, yet near-omnipotent genghis khan. the vast majority of this highland province, mostly over 1,000 meters above sea level, is of relatively flat landscape, the ideal environment for the cultivation of the horsemanship and skillful cavalry tactics that were used by the mongols to scourge most of the known world.

the mongols had long been known for their bellicose nature, often resulting in serious infighting between the clans and tribes, and it was in these circumstances that the tyrannical emperor qinshihuang (qinshi huangdi) of the qin dynasty (221-206 bc) constructed the plans for the epic great wall. it was this construction, and more importantly the lack of strong mongol leadership, that was to hold out the northern tribes for over one thousands years. the mongols of this period were mostly nomads & herdsmen or from bandit groups, that wandered or swept across the vast plains.

this was all to change with the birth of a fairly ordinary looking kid, that was allegedly born with a clot of blood clenched in his small fist. born into a poor but known family, the khans, he was soon to rise up above his peers through unparalleled physical strength, mental power, personal charisma and, probably most important, a cold brutality. eventually overcoming local challenges to his power, this genghis khan was to take the reigns of power and convert a people from an unstable rabble (compared to a pan of loose sand), to a controlled and vicious cavalry troop, that could outmaneuver and beat an army ten times its size. the great wall was no longer a big problem, and under his leadership the mongols were to break through and charge towards beijing.

the han chinese were to put up a significant fight however, and it was only after 16 years of fierce fighting (1211-1227 ad) that the hoofprints of mongol horseriders had covered and conquered most of northern china. the war took a great toll upon all involved, with the ransacking of anything in the mongol horde's path leaving little room for agricultural production. plague and famine became widespread. the great khan ended his life in 1227 ad, still conquering, disputably dying from either a fall from his horse or from the fatigue of interminable fighting (or both). he was never to witness the final triumphs that heralded the end of the northern song dynasty (1127-1279 ad). both the death and the subsequent burial are shrouded in mystery, possibly due to the silence that the mongol elite wished to keep over the stories of his death. location of the burial sight is claimed mainly to be at one of two areas, one in inner mongolia, near to baotou, and the other in the mountains near to ulan bator. those truly devoted to the mongolian cult, should probably visit both.

the descendants of genhis, were to follow in this violent khan's footsteps. for over one hundred years after his death, hordes under the control of various family members and loyal brethren were to swarm across the eurasian continents, from southern asia all the way to turkey, conquering and ransacking as they went. this huge expansion of control was helped hugely by the crowning of kublai khan, genghis' grandson, as the founding emperor of the yuan dynasty (1271-1368 ad). kublai, unlike his grandfather, was more of a politician and diplomat, and under his still firm reign, the mongols came to understand more of the comforts of culture that the chinese and others around the globe had long practiced. this was seen in not only the relaxing of marauding and ravaging, but also in the gradual introduction of other ethnic cultures. this was especially highlighted in the inner mongolian region, with the establishment of tibetan buddhism, and temples such as the still extant xilituzhao and dazhao temples. after kublai's death in 1294 ad, the relaxing of control and this decaying comfort culture continued, resulting eventually in a regime that, in the form of all true dynastic cycles, became prime for rebellion. the han chinese were quick to oblige, and so was formed the ming dynasty (1368-1644 ad), founded by the leader of the rebellion zhu yuanzhang.

the first half of the 20th century witnessed the struggle for control over the mongolian region, a power struggle that fell fairly firmly between the two cold war communist powerhouses, russia and china. by world war ii, the region had been already split more or less into the two halves that you see today. it was in this situation that japan, with a keen eye on china, began expanding its manchukuo state, that had been started in the former manchuria and was headed under the puppet emperor and china's last emperor, puyi. the japanese managed to take inner mongolia, but were repulsed by a mongol-russian force from outer mongolia. after the communist take over in 1949, inner mongolia was official named an autonomous region, and grand five year plans were put into operation, including the project to plough the grasslands. severe soil erosion and famine followed...

nowadays the region is, along with its neighbor the republic of mongolia, a potential goldmine for vast quantities of minerals and oil. the grasslands have also become a bit of a tourist attraction, meaning that it is now probably far more valuable for those after a true mongolian experience to head to the republic. a few sights remain of interest, especially in the remote northeast around hulunbuir and in the west (with the tomb of genghis), but these are mostly fairly hard to access. han china has seriously infiltrated inner mongolia, and restraints against fanatical nationalism are now well established.