Discover Inner Mongolia
Gegentala Grassland
格根塔拉草原
A larger, somewhat less trampled grassland than Xilamuren and the traditional venue for a big summer Naadam gathering of wrestling, horse racing and archery. Worth the extra driving time if your trip coincides with the festival.
The story
What makes this place special
Gegentala is a grassland tourist area in Siziwang Banner under Ulanqab, about 128km from Hohhot, rated a national 4A scenic area. It has a second claim to fame as the main landing ground for China's crewed Shenzhou spacecraft. August is the season for the local Naadam gathering and for the annual ovoo worship ceremony. From 2017 Ulanqab city and a national tourism group's performance company planned an investment of around 270 million yuan in a large-scale upgrade of the site, after which it was reported to have a hundred modern gers.
What you’ll discover
A purpose-built grassland resort: a cluster of modern gers with proper beds and plumbing, a central reception and dining complex, a performance arena, and horse and camel riding. The surrounding country is flatter and more open than Xilamuren's hills, and because the resort was rebuilt it is physically more comfortable than the older camps. The set pieces are the horsemanship and wrestling display, the evening bonfire, and in August the Naadam and the ovoo ceremony.
A little local insight
Good to know before you go
- Gegentala is the better-equipped of the two Hohhot-area grasslands and the one to choose if you want to sleep on the steppe rather than only visit. The gers are modern builds with beds and bathrooms rather than tents.
- Go in August if you can. The Naadam, with wrestling, horse racing and archery, and the ovoo worship ceremony are the one time the place has a genuine event at its centre rather than a scheduled display.
- It is in Ulanqab, not Hohhot, and is around two hours each way by road. As a day trip it is mostly driving; one night turns it into a real visit and gets you the night sky, which at this distance from a city is the best thing about it.
- This is the Shenzhou main landing zone, which is why you may see tracking infrastructure and occasional restrictions in the wider area. Do not fly a drone without checking, and do not photograph installations.
- Agree all prices in advance through a mainstream booking platform, including riding, the banquet and the show, and keep the written total.
- Bring a warm layer and a windproof whatever the month. It is open steppe at altitude and the wind does not stop.
When to come
July and August, with August the best for the Naadam and the ovoo ceremony and for escaping the heat elsewhere. June is green and quieter. From late September the grass is gone, and between November and March the site is effectively closed and a visit is not worth making.
Getting around
Reasonable for a grassland site. The resort was rebuilt recently, so the reception, dining and performance buildings are modern and largely step-free, and vehicles reach the gers. Some of the newer gers have accessible layouts; ask when booking. The arena seating, the riding and any walking on the grass are not accessible. A bad knee can manage the resort comfortably.
Worth knowing before you go
The point of Gegentala is the festival - outside Naadam it is a quieter version of Xilamuren and harder to reach, so check the dates first.
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