Alxa League

Alxa League or Alashan League is one of 12 prefecture level divisions and 3 extant leagues, or aimags, of Inner Mongolia. The league borders Mongolia to the north, Bayan Nur to the northeast, Wuhai and Ordos to the east, Ningxia to the southeast, and Gansu to the south and west. The capital is Bayanhot town, formerly known as Dingyuanying or Wang Ye Fu, in the aimag's Left Banner. The Mongolian variety spoken in this area is the Alasha dialect.

Understand

Alxa League is China's westernmost corner of Inner Mongolia — a vast sparsely populated wilderness covering 240 000 km² that holds three of China's most dramatic deserts: the Badain Jaran Tengger and Ulan Buh. With fewer than 270 000 permanent residents spread across an area larger than the UK it a rare combination of extreme solitude towering sand dunes mysterious desert lakes ancient Mongolian temples and the surreal poplar forests of Ejin Banner. For travelers who want raw cinematic desert landscapes without the crowds of Dunhuang or Zhangye Alxa is the answer

Best For

Desert adventure and dune trekking (Badain Jaran and Tengger deserts)
Autumn poplar forest photography (Ejin Banner's golden Euphrates poplars)
Mongolian cultural immersion and nomadic heritage
Stargazing in one of China's darkest skies
Off-road 4WD expeditions across remote terrain
Buddhist monastery exploration in the Helan Mountains

Badain Jaran Desert

The third-largest desert in China e most spectacular Earth, Badain Jaran covers over 49, 000 km² in Alxa Right Banner, Its defining feature is presence of more than 140 permanent lakes nestled between towering dunes — some dunes reaching 500 meters, amg tallest in world, The desert also ctains ancient temples is csidered sacred by Mgolians

Ejin Poplar Forest

Ejin Poplar Forest,.

Tengger Desert

China's fourth-largest desert, Tengger straddles border of Alxa Left Banner Ningxia. Its accessible dunes near Bayanhot make it most visitor-friendly desert in Alxa, camel rides, sandboarding, overnight desert camping. desert ctains over 400 lakes is its relatively stable dune formatis clear night skies

Yanfu Temple

Tibetan-style Gelug Buddhist mastery in heart of Bayanhot, Yanfu Temple was built in 1731 during Qing Dynasty served as political religious center Alxa Mgolian princes. complex traditial Tibetan architecture, golden rooftops, prayer halls, a collecti of Buddhist artifacts. It remains an active place of worship for Mgolian Tibetan Buddhist community

Guangzong Temple and Helan Mountains ( /)

Guangzg Temple (also known as Nansi or South Temple) sits dramatically in Helan Mountains in Alxa Left Banner, featuring a striking Hanging Temple built into cliff face. surrounding Helan Mountains form a natural barrier between desert the Yellow River plain, hiking trails, rock art sites, sweeping views over desert basin below

Juyan Lake

terminal lake in Ejin Banner fed by Heihe River, Juyan Lake (also called Gaxun Nur Sogo Nur) is a historically significant body of water that ce supported Han Dynasty military outposts alg Silk Road. lake dried up in due to upstream water diversi but was partially restored after. it attracts migratory birds offers a haunting landscape of water, reeds, desert