It's not that you can't afford Northern Europe, but Xilingol offers better value for money!

❄️Winter in Xilingol features the stunning natural snowy landscapes and celestial phenomena of Inner Mongolia, rivaling those of Northern Europe and the polar regions!🔥 There are lively "Ma Chao" leagues, popular competitions, and the Ice and Snow Nadam Festival, among others. In winter, 🐑 the grassland lamb feast is perfect for nourishment. Besides sightseeing and watching competitions, you can also enjoy the winter staple lamb feast!🙋‍♀️ Please accept this travel guide!

✅ Encounter celestial wonders
🧚Cold Night Light Pillars
🔎Cold night light pillars are formed by ice crystals in the atmosphere reflecting light, turning city neon lights into colorful pillars that shoot into the sky, creating a dreamy scene. The conditions for their formation are strict, but they are not uncommon in Inner Mongolia. Visiting Xilingol in winter gives you a good chance to see them!

🧚Sun Halo
🔎When there are cirrostratus clouds high in the sky, ice crystals float around the sun. These crystals reflect sunlight, creating a halo around the sun. This phenomenon often appears on the Xilingol grasslands in winter.

🧚Sundog
🔎Also called "double suns," sundogs are optical illusions caused by sunlight refracted through hexagonal ice crystals, making it look like there are two suns. This spectacle can be observed on the Xilingol grasslands in winter.

✅ Encounter natural phenomena
❄️Water Freezing When Thrown
🧊The magical water-freezing-when-thrown phenomenon goes viral every winter. Xilingol has the perfect conditions for this: in severe cold, when you throw a pot of hot water into the air, the tiny water vapor instantly freezes into ice crystals or droplets, creating a beautiful icy mist!

❄️Rime Ice
🧊Rime ice is a breathtaking winter scenery! Trees standing proudly on the Xilingol grasslands and the Hunshandake Sandland are covered with white ice flowers in deep winter, forming stunning rime ice landscapes. Driving on the grassland and sandland roads, you can easily enjoy this spectacular view!

✅ Check out popular activities
🤳🏼"On Horseback" Travel Photography
🏇Ride a horse and shoot epic photos, looking heroic and spirited! In Xilinhot’s core area of China’s Horse Capital cultural eco-tourism zone and the Yuma Garden scenic area in Taibus Banner, you can experience horseback travel photography. Dress in ethnic costumes, mount a horse, and take a series of horseback photos indoors or on the vast grasslands!

🤳🏼"Ma Chao" League
📸The frequently trending "Ma Chao" League is still in full swing and will continue until January 28, 2024. During this period, endurance races, speed races, and more are held, where you can watch riders galloping magnificently across the snowy plains.

🤳🏼Ice and Snow Nadam Festival
📸Various banners and counties in Xilingol host Ice and Snow Nadam events, including horse racing, car racing, dragon boat racing, ice skating, ice wrestling, ice car racing, and other ice sports and entertainment activities, as well as cultural performances, folk experiences, and rural spring festivals. Taibus Banner’s Bianqiang Village is highly recommended for visiting.

✅ Discover colorful cuisine
🍖Xilingol Lamb
🥘Xilingol lamb is a geographically indicated product and truly excellent lamb. In winter, you can enjoy hot pot lamb, whole roasted lamb, lamb skewers, hand-held lamb, and other hearty lamb dishes to nourish and keep warm!

🍵Inner Mongolia Morning Tea
🥘If you want to try red dishes (beef and lamb), white dishes (milk tea, cheese, milk snacks), and specialties like fried rice, tray meals, and blood sausage, come and enjoy a sumptuous Inner Mongolia morning tea!

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❄️Winter in Xilingol League is anything but dull, bursting with colorful scenery, activities, competitions, and food! Visitors can choose to drive or fly directly to Xilinhot Airport and 🌈 start a vibrant Xilingol journey!
(Some photos courtesy of Trip.com Traveler @Linyulu)