Alxa (Alashan) Travel Guide

Chinese Name: 阿拉善 (ā lā shàn)
Population: 250,700
Area: 270,000 square kilometers (104,248 square miles)
Location: in the west of Inner Mongolia, north China
Administrative Division: 3 Banners (Alashan Left Qi, Alashan Right Qi, Ejina Qi)
Area Code: 0483
Zip Code: 750306
GDP (2019): CNY 29.53 billion (USD 4.28 billion)
Nationalities: Mongol, Han, Hui, Man

Alxa, also Alashan, is a prefecture in the westernmost end of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region and neighbors Jiuquan, Zhangye and Wuwei in Gansu Province to the west. It is separated from Ningxia by Helan Mountain to the east, sharing a 733.48 kilometers (456 miles) boundary with Mongolia. Bayanhot is the administrative center. The Alxa tourism gives prominence to unique desert scenery, magnificent Gobi spectacle, splendid Ejina populus euphratica forest and bold Mongolian customs. The best time to visit Alxa is October when the populus euphratica forest becomes brightly golden and the Chinese largest automobile cross-country event organized by FBLIFE is held. This city is also the location of Dongfeng space city (Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center), one of the three largest manned space centers in the world. 

Alxa has a typical continental climate for its location in the hinterland of Asia remote from the moisture of the sea. Wind blowing with sand, rare rain and dry air are the main features of its weather. The winter is chilly and the summer is parched.
 
 When to Go: Summer is the best time to explore the scenic spots of Alxa around Helan Mountain, while the poplar forest in Ejiana Qi tinged with autumn red is also fascinating.
 
Note: Apart from the tourist necessities, such as sunglasses, sunblock, and clothes with long sleeves, visitors should also pay attention that not to shelter from the wind behind the lee slope of a dune. The correct action is to stand in front the dune behind camels.

 Physical Features: Alxa is situated on the Inner Mongolian Plateau having an average altitude of 1000-1400 meters (3281-4593 feet) with its topography inclining from the higher north to the lower south. The Gobi Desert and desert grassland comprise the main landscape of this area.
 
 History: Historically, Alxa was a beautiful place with many mellow waters and grass although there are many deserts in this area too. It has been shielded for hundreds of years from sparseness by the forests in Helan Mountain, Heihe River and oases. In the 17th Century, a tribe of Mongolians, the Tuerhute, after much difficulty contrived to come back and settle in this area from Volga River region. From then on, Alashan was inhabited over generations.
 
 Special Local Products: cashmere, camel hair, curious stone carvings