Erguna (Labudalin) and the wetlands
The root of the Mongol nation and the gateway to the north loop. The Gen He wetland on the edge of town, billed as Asia's largest, is best at dawn when mist sits on the water and at sunset when it turns to colour.
Hulunbuir · Inner Mongolia
Hulunbuir Tours & Travel Guide 2026 | Inner Mongolia Grassland | JoyoTour
Hulunbuir in Inner Mongolia is China's finest grassland — the Mergele River, Erguna wetlands and Russian villages. Private Hulunbuir tours via Hailar.
The short version
Hulunbuir is the great grassland of Inner Mongolia — 263,000 km² of steppe, forest and river, about the size of the UK, and the finest grass country in China. You arrive through its hub, Hailar (HLD), and then drive a loop that takes in the Mergele River, the Erguna wetlands, the Russian villages of Shiwei and Enhe, and the border city of Manzhouli. Seven to nine days is right; five is a rushed minimum.
- Fly into Hailar (HLD); Manzhouli in the west has its own airport and rail link too.
- The best loop runs Hailar–Erguna–Enhe–Shiwei–Linjiang–Moerdaoga–Hailar, about 1,500 km.
- This is huge, empty country — a car and driver (¥300–500 a day) beats waiting for buses.
- Late June to August is green and warm; late September is the photographers' season.
- Evergreen Russian villages: Shiwei and Enhe have timber houses, blueberry jam and Russian saunas.
The place itself
What Hulunbuir is actually like
Hulunbuir is not a town you visit, it is a territory you drive across. Named after Hulun Lake and Bell Lake, it is roughly the size of the United Kingdom and home to 32 ethnic groups, and the grass here is the reason people call it the best grazing land in China. Stand in it and there is no horizon line between plain and sky.
The rivers are what make the scenery. The Mergele wanders across the steppe in slow ox-bows, and the Erguna, which forms the border with Russia, cuts through birch forest and marsh. Nomad history runs deep — this was the cradle of the Xiongnu, the Xianbei and, later, the Mongol nation that Genghis Khan unified — and the Mongolian, Daur, Ewenki, Oroqen and Russian communities still live across it.
Along the Erguna there is a run of villages that feel more Siberia than China: Enhe and Shiwei with their log cabins and flower gardens, Linjiang strung out along the river, and Qiangan, nine or ten households at the end of the road that people call 'the Mohe of the north'. West, Manzhouli is a border boom town of onion domes and a 105 m gate.
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What not to miss — Hulunbuir
Shiwei and the Russian villages
A Russian ethnic township on the Erguna's south bank: log-walled houses, flower gardens, blueberry-jam breakfasts and genuine Russian banya. The China-Russia Friendship Bridge links it across the border.
The Mergele River
The most photographed river on the grassland, curving through the steppe near Chen Barag Banner. Go for the sweep of the bends at dusk, when the light catches the water.
Qian'an — the end of the road
A hamlet of a few families beside a frontier army camp, three sides of mountains and one of water. No shops, no traffic, and some of the best night skies in the region.
Manzhouli and the border
China's largest land port: the Fifth-Generation Gate, the China-Russia market, and the Matryoshka Square. The Matryoshka dolls are kitsch and enormous, and the border really is worth the drive west.
The forests of Moerdaoga
South of Qiangan, huge stands of pine and birch where the old green-skin trains once threaded through. The forest park's White Deer Island is the headline, but the drive itself is the point.
China tours that include this stop — Hulunbuir
Grand China Odyssey
Five regions, one journey: imperial north, panda country, the karst rivers of Guilin and the skyline of Shanghai, with Hangzhou's West Lake.
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View tourGetting there and away
Hailar Dongshan Airport (HLD), 5 km east of the city, is the main gateway, with flights to Beijing, Harbin, Shenyang, Shanghai, Guangzhou and more; a taxi into town is about ¥30 and the airport bus ¥5. Manzhouli, out west, has a smaller airport and is on the Harbin–Manzhouli rail line; you can also arrive by train from Beijing, Harbin, Hohhot, Baotou and Dalian.
Public buses link Hailar with Qiqihar, Ulanhot and Tongliao, and the long-distance station on the east side of town runs services to Erguna, Manzhouli, Genhe, Yakeshi and Moerdaoga. The old green-skin trains still thread the forest lines and are slow, cheap and atmospheric — Yakeshi is about an hour and around ¥7 from Hailar.
Inside the region, most travellers hire a car with a driver, at roughly ¥300–500 a day covering the vehicle, fuel and the driver's own food and lodging; negotiate the route, not just the day rate. The drivers know where the light is good and where the sand roads run, which matters when so much of the pleasure is stopping at the side of the road. Self-driving is easy in summer but you will need a fire permit in the spring and autumn fire seasons.
Best time to visit — Hulunbuir
| Month | Weather | Crowds | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4°C / -4°C · dry, cold | Quiet | Avoid |
| February | 6°C / -1°C · dry, cold | Very busy | Avoid |
| March | 14°C / 5°C · dry, cold | Moderate | Good |
| April | 21°C / 12°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| May | 27°C / 18°C · clear and mild | Busy | Best |
| June | 31°C / 23°C · hot, humid | Moderate | OK |
| July | 32°C / 25°C · hot, humid | Busy | OK |
| August | 30°C / 24°C · hot, humid | Busy | OK |
| September | 26°C / 19°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| October | 20°C / 12°C · clear and mild | Very busy | Best |
| November | 12°C / 4°C · dry, cold | Quiet | Good |
| December | 5°C / -2°C · dry, cold | Quiet | Good |
How many days do you need?
Seven to nine days for the full northern loop — Hailar, Erguna, Enhe, Shiwei, Linjiang, Moerdaoga, Qiangan, back to Hailar — with the long driving days broken up. Five days gets you the grassland and one Russian village without the far north. Add two days for Manzhouli and Hulun Lake, and more again if you want to push on to Arxan or Mohe.
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Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Hulunbuir?
Late June to August, when the grass is greenest, the forest fullest and the livestock fattest. September turns the grass and birch gold and is better for photography. December to February is the snow-and-ice season, when the whole steppe goes white and the winter Nadam fair is held.
Hulun Lake or Bell Lake — which should I see?
Hulun Lake, without question. It is easier to reach, better scenery, and open for tourism; Bell Lake lies on the Mongolian border with security checkpoints and roads that are genuinely rough for ordinary cars. Go to Hulun (also called Dalai Lake) and save yourself the trouble.
Do I need a car, or can I use buses?
A car and driver is far better. The towns are hundreds of kilometres apart and the buses run to timetables that will not fit a sightseeing day; a private car lets you stop whenever the view is good, for ¥300–500 a day all in. Public buses exist between Hailar, Erguna and Manzhouli, but they are slow and inflexible.
Is Hulunbuir expensive?
Less than most of China. There is no big-ticket entry fee culture here, accommodation can be thirty-odd yuan a night with meals thrown in, and hiring a horse is the main splurge. The cost is the car; split across three or four people it works out cheap.
Do I need a fire permit?
Only if you self-drive, and only during the spring and autumn fire seasons. It is free: take your ID and driving licence to the local forestry service office, or in Hailar to the admin service hall south of the Yimin Bridge. If you are on a tour or with a hired driver, you do not need one.
Can I get cash and use cards out in the villages?
Get your cash in Hailar or Manzhouli first. Both cities, and Erguna, have plenty of banks and ATMs, but in Shiwei, Enhe and Linjiang there is nowhere to withdraw money and cards are effectively useless — cash only. Mobile payment is patchy the further out you go.
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