Blossoming in the embrace of 'Han Mountain Father': The May flowers of Zhalute

'Han Wula', in Mongolian means 'majestic mountain', and in Chinese, it is called 'Han Mountain', a branch of the southern foothills of the Greater Khingan Range, spanning across Chifeng City and Tongliao City in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The Mongolian people of Horqin revere it as a sacred mountain, calling it 'Han Mountain Father', and follow the ancient ecological cultural tradition of protecting the natural environment, as well as the strict protection regulations for grassland and forest in the 'Dazhasa'. The Mongolian tribes of Horqin living along Han Wula have been practicing mountain, water, tree, and Oboo (a type of sacred cairn) worship activities for thousands of years. The mountains that are worshipped are prohibited from hunting and logging, and the trees that are worshipped are named 'sacred trees' and are strictly protected. As a result, the vast forests and wetlands of Han Wula are preserved, playing a significant role in water conservation and nurturing numerous rivers such as the Heiha River, maintaining a positive regional ecological development. The Han Mountain range is divided into five branches according to the height and distribution of the mountains. The branch on the watershed in the central and northern part of Zhalute Banner, Tongliao City, is collectively called Hairihan Mountain, and its main peak is the 270,000-acre Hairihan Forest Farm, which is also the place where the Horqin Grassland embraces the Greater Khingan Range. 'Hairihan' in Mongolian means beautiful and lovely, and just like its name, Hairihan Forest Farm has distinct seasons and magnificent scenery. Every year, as May arrives, the tens of thousands of acres of wild azaleas in Zhalute Banner's Hairihan Forest Farm burst into bloom in the embrace of 'Han Mountain Father'. The mountainsides are covered with purple and red azaleas nestled under or at the edge of the elegant white birch forests. Between the straight, snow-white trunks are clusters of pink and purple flowers. The azaleas bloom like rosy clouds, and the white birches stand like swords, reflecting each other's beauty, creating an overwhelmingly beautiful scene.