LEIF HANSSON: Inner Mongolia

Last weekend we visited Inner Mongolia, the province where Shi Zhiting was born. It was quite different to Beijing with it's clear air, clear water and not so crowded. The sun in Beijing never give you any suntan but in Erdos my arms was burned red in 4 hrs - I looked like a cooked shrimp....

The city entrance to Erdos - the symbol of Djingis Khan

Inner Mongolia's land area is the third largest in China. Its grasslands account for one fourth of China's total grassland area, and its forest area is the second largest in China. Daxinganling forest zone is one of China's and Inner Mongolia's important forest production bases. Its coal reserves are huge; it also has rich rare-earth resources, and its natural alkali reserve is the largest in the country. It also has mineral products such as asbestos and mica, among others. Its solar power and wind power resources are rich, but the province lacks water resources.

Inner Mongolia is a rich part of China and You could see that in the number of new, big cars and the many new buildings popping up everywhere. A "new city" is developing just north of Erdos.

Lunch at a fishrestaurant at Lake Hongjianno

For the first time since I "moved" to China I also spend some time birdwatching.
Was lucky in Lake Hongjianno to find the most rare Gull in the world - the Relict Gull.
It can only be found in a few places in Inner Mongolia and on migration in some places in east and south China. This was a very have "X"!!!

Relict Gulls in Lake Hongjianno

On Sunday we visited the south part of the Gobi desert on our way to the airport in Baotou.
It is from this part of the country that the sand comes blowing into Beijing and causing the "yellow storm". When the storm is reaI bad the sand flyes all the way to Tokyo...

As everywhere in China they know how to make money out of tourists. Here You can find "sandsurfing", cameltours, four-wheeled motorcycles to ride in the desert, desert parasuiting and many other things.