On a wing and a prairie: All roads lead to scenic Chifeng
Chifeng has launched six driving routes for visitors to soak up the charms of the city's prairie setting. By integrating scenic spots such as geological parks, forests, traditional villages, homestays and camping sites, the city in the southeast of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region offers surrounding landscapes that include mountains, deserts, grasslands, lakes and hot springs - as well as seven national natural reserves and over 7,300 historical sites.
With its glacial landscape and granite stone forest, Chifeng's Dalinor Lake is home to hundreds of thousands of wild birds that flock to its rich waters that shimmer under the summer sun.
By the end of the Liao Dynasty (916-1125), the ethnic nomadic Qidan tribe had left behind a profound historical and cultural legacy in Chifeng - a key point on the ancient Silk Road.
In 2017, Chifeng received 16.36 million tourist visits, an increase of 12.5 percent compared to the previous year, according to the local tourism commission.