Things to do in Zhenglan Banner

At the 36th session of the World Heritage Committee, Shangdu (Xinjiang) was inscribed on the World Heritage List, becoming my country's 30th World Cultural Heritage site. Located in Zhenglan Banner and Duolun County, Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the Shangdu site covers approximately 251 square kilometers and includes the city ruins, fortified gates, the Tiefangan Canal, the Zhenzishan Tomb Complex, and the Yikeshu Tomb Complex. The site showcases the characteristics of cultural fusion, witnessing the collision and integration between nomadic and agricultural civilizations in North Asia. Kublai Khan established Kaiping Prefecture here in 1256, and elevated it to Shangdu in 1263, serving as the first capital and summer capital of the Yuan Dynasty.

The original grassland, with red flowers and green grass, herds of cattle and sheep, birds singing, flowers blooming, horses hooves melodiously, and the lake and sky are one color

Many people recommend visiting the museum before the ruins when exploring Xanadu, the Yuan Dynasty capital. They suggest that since all the above-ground structures of Xanadu have been destroyed by fire, only a few rammed earth foundations and outlines remain, making it difficult to imagine the former grandeur of the city. The museum, on the other hand, features a giant sand table of the entire city, palace reconstructions, and unearthed artifacts, providing a preliminary understanding and impression of Xanadu beforehand. This way, when you arrive at the ruins, the earthen walls and artifacts will correspond perfectly with historical records, maximizing the atmosphere and sense of history. However, because I was so eager to see the Golden Lotus Flower, I visited the ruins first, then the museum. The Xanadu Ruins Museum is located halfway up Wulantai Aobao Mountain, five kilometers south of the Xanadu ruins. You park your car at the foot of the mountain and then take a sightseeing bus (5 yuan per person) along a winding mountain road to reach it. The museum is a dark red, geometric building nestled in the gray-blue mountainside, reportedly designed by Li Xinggang, the Chinese chief designer of the "Bird's Nest" stadium. He cleverly concealed most of the buildings within the mountainside using an abandoned mining site, leaving only a long strip of red concrete exterior wall partially exposed, metaphorically representing the ruins' city walls. The museum has two floors and is not large, nor is the collection particularly extensive, given the severe damage to the palace ruins. The exhibition, themed "Approaching Yuan Shangdu," is divided into four parts: "Unlocking the Sealed Memories," "Searching for the Splendor of the Past," "Appreciating the Prosperity of Science and Culture," and "The Jinlianchuan Grassland Today." Among these, the most noteworthy are: 1. The first exhibit on the first floor features a "Large Map of the Yuan Dynasty's Territory," accompanied by a model of the Yuan Shangdu city. The map shows that the Yuan Dynasty's territory spanned two continents, Asia and Europe, "extending north beyond the Yin Mountains, west to the shifting sands, east to Liaodong, and south beyond the sea," reaching approximately 14 million square kilometers. Besides its vast area, it was the first to formally incorporate the Mongolian Plateau and Tibet into the central dynasty's territory, laying the foundation for the modern Chinese borders. 2. The white marble corner pillar with dragon relief, considered the "treasure of the museum." The front and west sides of the pillar each feature a symmetrical five-clawed dragon in relief, surrounded by floral patterns. Despite over seven centuries of weathering, the patterns on the white marble remain clearly discernible, the dragon's body winding, its scales distinct. It has witnessed Kublai Khan's court assemblies, Marco Polo's astonishment, and the glory of the steppe empire… 3. A restored model of the Da'an Pavilion. According to records, the Da'an Pavilion was the tallest building in the Yuan Dynasty's Shangdu palace, seven stories high and 60 meters tall, equivalent to more than 20 stories in modern architecture. It was where the emperor conducted state affairs. Remarkably, this building was originally the Xichun Pavilion in the Kaifeng palace of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. Kublai Khan dismantled it, transported it to the steppes, and reassembled it. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in the wars at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, and the architectural techniques were lost. "A Yuan Dynasty capital, half of the Yuan Dynasty's history." This red house, nestled in the mountainside, lacks grandeur but exudes tranquility. The history it guards was once magnificent, but now it has returned to the vastness and silence of the grasslands.

The grasslands of Jinlianchuan once ignited the ambitions of Mongolian heroes. The grass and water here are lush, and in this autumn when the grass turns yellow, you can smell the joy of harvest everywhere. The number of cattle and sheep in Ximeng should not be less than that of Qilian Pasture, but it's a pity that the driver couldn't take pictures of what he saw on the road. Looking back to the past, if I were a Mongolian, I would probably want to conquer more land😄

Purchase tickets online in advance; simply scan your ID card at the ticket gate for quick entry. This is my second time climbing the Great Wall in several years; the last time was in early May, and this time it's in mid-October. I climbed the south route to the seventh floor and then back, and the north route to the eleventh floor and down. I also visited the Bear Park along the way. The entire trip was on foot, and it was a great experience.

I am very impressed with the use of earpiece where it is connected to the guide’s microphone and we can hear clearly despite the crowd around us. Our guide is Crystal, her English is very fluent, she is extremely informative and great story teller. My sis and I truly enjoyed my entire experience with her and highly recommend anyone whom is going to 故宫 to engage a guide to fully understand every detail the palace entails.

Absolutely loved our time at universal studios. We bought the express pass and it made for a perfect day, we could try everything and the pass also gave us time to explore and eat without worrying about queues. The scenery and themes are so well done, love Jurassic world! The rides are just a great mix of thrill and fives you plenty of variety through the day. We will definitely come back again!

张洋导游讲解的非常好！All visitors should book the national Museum of China trip. It is not easy to book on your own, book through Trip.com and have a guide to share the history with you..