Alxa League

Alxa  League

Alxa League (Mongolian: , Alaša ayimaɣ, Chinese: 阿拉善盟; pinyin: Ālāshàn Méng)is situated at the northwest of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, administering 3 Banners (County) including Left Banner, Right Banner and Ejina Banner containing totally 23 Sumus (Township) and 190 Gachas (Village). With the largest area of 270,000km² and the least population of 200,000 in Inner Mongolia, there are 28 ethnic minorities such as Mongol, Han and Hui people, living together in harmony and striding ahead with concerted efforts.

Geography

Climate: Lying off the hinderland of Asian Continent, belonging to the interior plateau, known as Alxa Plateau, far off to the sea and surrounded by mountains, Alxa League is the typical continental climate with the distinguishing seasonal features like dry weather, low rainfall, strong wind, sandy, summer-hot, winter-cold and big difference in temperature between the day and the night. Annual temperature is 6--8．5℃ with the average temperature of -9--14℃ in Juanuary, extremely lowest at-36．4℃ , and 22--26．4℃ in July, extremely highest at 41．7℃. The frost-free period lasts between 130 and 165 days. Affected by southeast seasonal wind, rainy season is mainly concentrated in July, August and September.

Hydrology: The Yellow River flows across Wusutu and Bayanmuren Sumu with the annual flow of over 30 billion m3 through the total distance of 85km in Alxa League area. Ejina River is the only seasonal inland river in Alxa, originated from the north slope of Qilian Mountain, flowing into the second branch of Bayanbaogede sluice. By the west, the Murengaole River (West River) is converged into Gashunnaoer River (West Juyan Lake). By the east, Emunagaole River (East River) with several branches flows to the Subonaoer River (East Juyan Lake), the Jingsitiannaoer (Old Juyan Lake or Swan Lake) and Sharinaoer River. Ejina river has an annual flow of 1 billion cubic meters with the total distance of over 200km in the League area. Ground water can be explored from the ravine of Helanshan, Yabulaishan and Longshoushan Mountains and some emerge to be springs. Over 500 lake basins scatteredly distributed in the deserts with the total area of around 11,000km², including the grassland lake basin area of 10,700km² and catchment lake area of over 400km². Known as the oasis, green grass and clear water cultivated here as excellent pastures.

Topography: The landscape type includes desert, gobi, hilly country, low hills, lake basin and low-lying land because of the influence of geomorgraphy, biology and climate on soils. The soils have distinguishing features of zonal distribution in order of sierozems, grey desert soil and grey-brown desert soil from southeast to northwest. Salinity soil and bog soil also exist in lake basin and low-lying areas. Well-known Badanjilin, Tenggeli and Wulanbuhe Deserts lay across the whole League with a total area of 78,000km², accounting for 29% of the total League area, ranked the fourth largest in the world and the second in China. Badanjilin Desert is famed for its high and steepy sandy mountains, mainly compounding ones. Its relative altitude varies from 5-20m at the edge to 200-400m inside and reaches the highest to 500m. These high sandy mountains are not connected with each other, but stand by themselves loftily and steeply. Tenggeli and Wulanbuhe Deserts are mainly formed of active and semi-fixed barkhan chains at the height of 10-200m. There are over 500 saltwater and freshwater lakes such as Gurinaihu, Guaizihu, Shariburidu, Toudaohu, Chagangaole, Dundegaole, Huitugaole, Bayanhuole, Wurituhuole, Tulantaihu, Tonggulegenaoer, Yinggetian, Temoutu, Tonghuyingaole, Shuguihu, Haomukengaole and Yihejigede Lakes. North Gobi covers a broad area of 90,000km², accounting for 33.7% of the total League area. Small part of the Yinshan mountain chain is alternatively distributed with deserts, low-lying land and exhumed monadnock. The whole Alxa League is divided into two parts by Yabulaishan Mountain extended from northeast to southwest. But, in southeast and southwest, it is surrounded by Helanshan, Helishan, Longshoushan and Mazongshan Mountains. Helanshan Mountain runs from south to north with the length of 250km and the width of 10-50km at an average altitude of 2,700m. Its Dalanghaorao and Bayansunburi Peaks have an altitude of 3,556m and 3,207m separately. The lofty Helanshan stands like a natural barrier preventing the desert from moving eastward and weakening the power of cold current from northwest, and a watershed of inner and outer river basin.

Long History and Renowned Personalities

Alxa is one of the important origins of ancient people with the footprint of human activities at Paleolithic age. Mandela cliff carving created 6000 years ago, lively reflect the ancient life of Alxa people. The Black City Ruins, renowned all over the world, was once the significant military and “Silk Road” passing in Han, Tang, Xixia and Yuan Dynasties. The famous poet Wang Wei of Tang Dynasty and the noted Italian traveler Marco Polo have also left behind excellent writings praising Alxa. On the Juyan river, mists and waves stretch far into the distance. Legend has it that Su Wu, known as a symbol of national integrity, was detained here herding sheep for eighteen years without submission. Alxa has profound religious culture. The 6th Dalai Lama, was preached a sermon at the South Temple (Guangzong Temple) and passed away at the Chengqing Temple in the depths of the Tenggeli Desert. Awangdandeer, the noted pioneer in Mongolian and Tibetan cultural undertakings, has also took all his life write over 40 books in Mongolian and Tibetan. His prominent insight and outstanding contribution promoted the development of Alxa’s religious culture and Mongolian language and literature to the world top standard. Tuerhute and Heshuote tribes lived here for generations with unique culture heritage. About 300 years ago, Tuerhute tribe undertook an arduous journey and returned from the Volga River with the immortal epic of “the Eastward Return of Hero”. Dongfeng Space Station, famous all over the country, is situated at Ejina Banner in Alxa League, and created many “first” in China’s space activities one after another. “Shenzhou” manned spacecrafts were all sent up from here, attained worldwide known achievements, and realized the Chinese nation’s flying dreams to the space throughout the ages.

Rich Resources and Treasures

Alxa League possesses the vast land with the land area per capita of 1.35km² developed in form of the typical ecological economic model. It has usable pasture area of 150 million mu, the arable land of 3 million mu, among which 400 thousand mu has been developed with the green plantation of cotton, sweet melon and organic vegetables in top quality. Also, the significant ecological barrier is formed as one important components of “Three-North Shelter Belt” with its rich forest resources, mainly including the natural second-forest of 540,000mu, diversiform-leaved poplar of 440,000mu in Ejina and natural sacsaoul forest distributed from east to west Alxa League. Alxa’s bactrian camel and cashmere goat are the local prepotent sire. Camel hair and cashmere produced with high quality received the awards of the American Amika and Italian National Chaikena separately.There are plenty of rare and valuable herbal medicines and biological resources with great potential for development such as desert ginseng, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, C.songaricum Ruqr, Ephedra sinica, Lycium Barbarum L.,salinity algae, S.alopecuroides and Artemia. With geological prospecting, 84 minerals have been explored, among which the reserves of lake salt,anthracite and granite rank first in Inner Mongolia. Many minerals like lake salt, coal, mirabilite, gold and iron enjoys distinct advantages in development with large scale mining. The world largest metallic potassium production base, the Asia largest indigo production base and national lake salt production base have been developed. Alxa is the typical mid-temperate continental climate with great potential for future development of solar and wind energy. Ceke – Xibokulun Trading Port is the third largest overland ports in Inner Mongolia as the outside door to Bayanhongor, Ömnögovi, Övörhangay, Arhangay and Govi-Altay aymags with rich mineral resources in Mongolia State and the inside overland port shared with the West Inner Mongolia and Ningxia Autonomous Regions, and Shaanxi, Qinghai and Gansu Provinces.

We sincerely welcome people of insight to Alxa League for investment and sightseeing. Mysterious and broad land, specialized folk customs and gracious hospitality will fascinate every friend both at home and abroad.