Xilin Jiuquwan Scenic Area

Xilin Jiuquwan Scenic Area is 13 km southeast of Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia. The Xilin River here winds a lot—its beautiful bends glow with the grassland. Reeds and other aquatic plants grow well, drawing birds and small animals. It's open all day and free to enter. The best time is June to August. You can ride horses, take photos, and enjoy nature's beauty!

Highlights of Xilin Jiuquwan Scenic Area

Amazing Winding River Views

Xilin Jiuquwan in summer

What stands out most at Xilin Jiuqu Bay are the winding bends of the Xilin River. This part of the river has a steep right bank and a gentle left bank, and its bed shifts often—this creates lots of graceful bends. Stand by the river, and you'll see the water twist and turn freely across the big grassland, like a bright blue silk ribbon. Every bend looks like a line nature drew carefully. It mixes with the nearby grassland (green like a carpet), white sheep (like snow), and blue sky (like a jewel). Together, they make a pretty, wonderful grassland scene. Many photographers work hard to wait here. They just want to take pictures of this great view and record the nice light and shadow at that moment. In 1998, a small sheet of Xilingol special stamps came out. It used this beautiful river bend as its background—and that shows how special this place is. On sunny days, around 10 in the morning, the sun hits the river and makes the water shine. Cattle and sheep eat grass slowly by the river. A lively, natural grassland scene opens up. It makes you feel like you're in a paradise. You get lost in this lovely beauty and don't want to leave.

Lots of Green Aquatic Plants

The riverbanks are full of aquatic plants. Reeds grow well here—their thin stems sway in the wind, and their soft blooms look like snow. Other kinds of water plants grow with them too; some have wide leaves, others are small and fine. All add a special charm. In summer, the bright green plants make the scenery lively. When autumn comes, the reeds turn golden. Their plumes dance in the wind, which makes a sad but nice beauty. These plants also give birds and small animals places to hide. Walk along the bank, and you may see water birds rushing through the reeds or frogs jumping in the plants—nature living in harmony. They join the winding river and big grasslands, forming a complete, wild, and interesting ecosystem.

Educational Value

The core landscapes of Xilin Jiuqu Bay — the river bends and aquatic plant communities — are natural "ecological classrooms", allowing visitors to intuitively understand the core knowledge of geography and ecology. From a geographical perspective, the Xilin River in the scenic area has the riverbed characteristics of "a steep right bank and a gentle left bank", and the nine winding bends formed by frequent riverbed shifts perfectly demonstrate the geographical principle of "river bend development": water flows erode the concave banks (steep banks) under inertia, and deposit sediment on the convex banks (gentle banks); over time, these processes form the winding river bends.

Activities to do at Xilin Jiuquwan Scenic Area

Horse riding: You can go horse riding in the scenic area. When you ride a horse, you can enjoy the beautiful views of Xiling Nine-Bend Bay, feel relaxed, and have fun with Mongolian horseback riding.