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Inner Mongolia is one of the more rugged of China"s provinces, and when traveling on
overland transport, especially by bus, you are bound for a bumpy ride. Having said
this recent years have seen a rise in road and rail improvement, that makes it a lot
easier to visit the rolling grasslands and distant towns. By plane: Travelers can now fly directly to the capital, Hohhot, from most of the
major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou as well as Ulan
Bator in Outer Mongolia. As an alternative, you may also opt to come
straight to the region by taking a flight to Baotou from the
afore-mentioned destinations. For detailed information, check the respective transport
overviews. By train: Although lying on relatively high land, the flat grassland
makes it fairly easy for Chinese to pave railway lines here, accounting for the reason why
19 main lines, 12 extension lines and 5 local lines traverse the entire region and link it
with Beijing, Xi"an, Lanzhou, Yinchuan and more.The most
interesting train ride in the province and beyond is easily the Trans-Siberian, that links
Beijing with Moscow. The Inner Mongolian section of this is one of the longest train rides
in China, a windy route through rolling grasslands and cold, beautiful scenery. The train
heads through both Hailar
and Manzhouli, before chugging onwards into Siberia. By bus: Due to the advanced railway transport systems, bus transport
is mainly left for intra-province use. With the completion of the Hohhot-Baotou
Expressway, it is now possible to make inroads into some of the least known
prefectures and villages lying sporadically on the vast expanses of the grasslands. In
addition, if you plan to visit the outlying attractions in Hohhot, Baotou and Hailar,
the most convenient means of transport is still bus, unless you are taken with horse or
camel travel. |
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