Located on China@,@s northernmost tip sharing a border of 4,221 kilometers with Russia and the People@,@s Republic of Mongolia, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is mainly, inhabited by the Mongolians, with pasturelands, deserts, forests, the Yellow River, the Ergun River, Dalai Nur, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, Yinshan Mountains, and Helan Mountain. Its long history and unique culture offer a rich resource for tourism industry.

Inner Mongolia, a tract of beautiful, fertile land, was the first minority autonomous region in China founded on May 1, 1947. It has a population of 22.84 million, with 49 ethnic groups, of which 3.7 million are the Mongolians, and more than 800,000 others. Covering an area of 1.1183 million square kilometers, it has eight leagues and four cities, with Hohhot as its capital. It neighbors Heilongjian, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces in the east; Hebei, Shanxi, and Shaanxi provinces in the south; and Gansu and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in the west.

Inner Mongolia is richly abundant with natural resources. It has 880,000 square kilometers of pasturelands, making up 10 percent of the nation@,@s total; There are approximately 1,000 rivers and 10 lakes; It has over 1,000 species of plants, 93 species of fish, 362 species of birds, and 114 species of animals, 49 species of which are under State and the autonomous region@,@s protection.

The rich natural resources, the beautiful landscapes, and the unique folklore provide advantages to the development of tourism industry in inner Mongolia. Governmeent at all levels have attached great great importance to tourism industry, increasing funds, and quickening he construction of infrastructural facilities so as to offer a better environment for travellers. In recent years along with the initiation of China@,@s reform and opening-up, Inner Mongolia has developed and made good use of its tourist resources, thus greatly speeding up the development of tourism industry.

More items for tourists have been opened, such as pastureland and national folklore; horse and camel riding, bicycle, motorcycle and automobile travelling, and adventures on foot; special items, such as desert, forest, snow, hunting, fishing, and archaeology; and holiday resort travelling. In recent years, a complete service system has taken shape, including trips, sightseeing, accommodation, food, recreation, and shopping.