Xiangshawan Tourist Scenic Area is located in Dalate Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, at the eastern end of the Kubuqi Desert. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction and a large desert-themed scenic area integrating sightseeing, vacation, leisure, entertainment and desert adventure. The total area of the scenic area is about 16,100 square kilometers, and the core tourist area is about 24 square kilometers. It is famous for the unique natural phenomenon of "singing sand" and is known as the "King of Singing Sand". Here, the sand dunes are rolling, with the highest altitude of about 1,486 meters. The sand grains are pure and fine. When tourists slide down from the top of the sand dunes, the sand will make a buzzing sound, forming a rare "singing sand" wonder. The scenic area has several characteristic tourist areas, equipped with complete catering, accommodation and entertainment facilities, providing tourists with a comprehensive desert tourism experience.
Historical Culture
The "singing sand" phenomenon of Xiangshawan was recorded in local historical materials as early as hundreds of years ago. The local Mongolian herdsmen call it "Bure Mangha", which means "sand dune with a horn", and there are many myths and legends about singing sand, believing that it is a gift from the gods. These legends have been integrated into the cultural beliefs of the Mongolian people and have become an important part of the local national culture.
With the development of the times, Xiangshawan has gradually transformed from a mysterious natural wonder into a well-known tourist attraction. In the 1980s, the local area began to develop tourism in Xiangshawan. On the premise of protecting the natural environment, it gradually improved tourism facilities, allowing more people to have the opportunity to experience the magic of singing sand in person. Today, Xiangshawan is not only a window to display the desert natural landscape, but also a platform to spread Mongolian folk culture. Activities such as Nadam Fair and Mongolian song and dance performances are often held in the scenic area, allowing tourists to deeply understand the living customs and cultural traditions of the grassland people.
Main Attractions
Liansha Resort Island
Liansha Resort Island is the core accommodation and leisure area of Xiangshawan, featuring lotus-shaped buildings that integrate modern design with desert style. The resort has luxury hotels, characteristic restaurants and leisure facilities. The architectural appearance is in harmony with the desert environment. Tourists can enjoy a comfortable accommodation experience in the desert here, and can also appreciate the bright desert starry sky at night. The resort covers an area of about 100,000 square meters and provides diversified services to meet the vacation needs of different tourists.
Fusha Resort Island
Fusha Resort Island is themed on Mongolian culture. The buildings on the island adopt the shape of traditional yurts, showing a strong grassland ethnic style. There is a Mongolian folk custom experience area here, where tourists can participate in traditional activities such as horse riding, archery, and making dairy products, and watch folk performances such as Mongolian long songs and matouqin. The resort island is also equipped with desert hot springs, allowing tourists to enjoy the unique experience of soaking in hot springs in the desert. With a total area of about 80,000 square meters, it is an ideal place to experience Mongolian culture.
Yili Sha Resort
Yili Sha Resort is close to the core scenic area of singing sand, with a simple and comfortable style, suitable for families and leisure tourists. The resort has a variety of room types and catering places, and the surrounding area is a vast desert landscape. Tourists can conveniently go to the sand dunes to experience activities such as sand sliding. The resort covers an area of about 50,000 square meters and provides characteristic projects such as desert off-roading and desert camping, allowing tourists to get close to the desert environment.
Yuesha Leisure Island
Yuesha Leisure Island is the entertainment core area of Xiangshawan, gathering a number of desert amusement projects, including desert surf cars, desert trains, and sand motorcycles. There is a large performance venue on the island, where the real-scene performance of "Ordos Wedding" is staged every day. Through wonderful plots and costume displays, it reproduces the grand scene of the traditional Mongolian wedding. The leisure island covers an area of about 120,000 square meters and is the main area for tourists to experience desert entertainment projects.
Xiansha Leisure Island
Xiansha Leisure Island is characterized by exciting desert adventure projects, suitable for tourists who like adventure. There are challenging projects such as high-altitude zip-line, desert bungee jumping, and desert off-road vehicles. The high-altitude zip-line spans about 500 meters, allowing tourists to overlook the desert panorama from a high altitude; the desert off-road vehicle track is about 8 kilometers long, crossing sand dunes and gullies, bringing a strong driving experience. The leisure island also has a children's play area, providing desert games suitable for parent-child interaction, with a total area of about 100,000 square meters.
Food
Hand-Pulled Meat
Hand-pulled meat is a traditional Mongolian food and a characteristic dish in Xiangshawan Scenic Area. It uses fresh mutton, which is boiled in clear water and eaten with salt. The meat is tender and juicy, retaining the original flavor of mutton. In the yurt restaurant in the scenic area, tourists can enjoy hand-pulled meat while appreciating Mongolian songs and dances, feeling the authentic grassland food culture.
Roast Whole Lamb
Roast whole lamb is the highest courtesy for Mongolians to receive guests. This delicacy can be tasted in the characteristic catering area of Xiangshawan. It uses locally raised lambs, which are specially marinated and roasted with traditional charcoal fire. The outer skin is golden and crispy, and the meat is tender and flavorful. Roast whole lamb is usually accompanied by a grand ceremony, with Mongolian singers singing toast songs, allowing tourists to experience a strong ethnic customs.
Milk Skin
Milk skin is a traditional Mongolian dairy product. Freshly made milk skin can be tasted in the folk custom experience area of the scenic area. It is made from fresh milk through processes such as boiling and drying, with a delicate and mellow taste and rich nutrition. Milk skin can be eaten directly or with milk tea, fried rice, etc. It is a favorite food of local herdsmen, reflecting the dietary wisdom of the Mongolian people.
Desert Roasted Eggs
Desert roasted eggs are a characteristic snack of Xiangshawan. Using the abundant sunlight and high temperature in the desert, eggs are buried in the sand and naturally roasted. This unique cooking method retains the nutrition of the eggs, with a tender taste and a light burnt aroma. It is an interesting food that tourists should not miss in the desert and can be bought at the snack stalls in the scenic area.
Tickets
Package ticket: 260 yuan per person (including ticket, cableway, Xiansha Leisure Island, excluding camel rides).
You can search for the official WeChat public account "响沙湾" to get the latest news or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
The opening hours of the scenic area are adjusted according to the season. The peak season is from April 1 to October 31, with opening hours from 8:00 to 18:00; the off-season is from November 1 to March 31 of the next year, with opening hours from 9:00 to 17:00 (some amusement projects may be suspended during the off-season). Ticket sales stop 1.5 hours before closing every day. It is recommended that tourists arrange their itinerary reasonably to avoid missing the admission time.
Tour Route
After entering the scenic area, tourists first take the cableway across the Yellow River tributary to reach the desert entrance (about 10 minutes); then go to Yuesha Leisure Island to experience the desert train and watch the performance of "Ordos Wedding", which takes about 3 hours; have lunch at the restaurant on Yuesha Island at noon (about 1 hour); in the afternoon, go to Xiansha Leisure Island to participate in exciting projects such as desert off-road vehicles and high-altitude zip-line, which takes about 2.5 hours; then go to the core area of singing sand to experience the fun of sand sliding and feel the "singing sand" wonder, which takes about 1.5 hours; finally return to Liansha Resort Island to rest or leave the scenic area by cableway. The total playing time is about 8-9 hours, which can fully experience the main features of the scenic area.
Transportation
- Self-driving: Starting from Dongsheng District, Ordos City, drive along Baotou-Maoming Expressway to Dalate Banner Exit, then drive along Xiangshawan Tourism special line, with a total distance of about 50 kilometers and a driving time of about 1 hour; starting from Hohhot, drive along Beijing-Tibet Expressway to Baotou-Maoming Expressway, get off at Dalate Banner Exit, with a total distance of about 180 kilometers and a driving time of about 2.5 hours. The charging standard of the scenic area parking lot is 10 yuan/day for small cars and 20 yuan/day for large cars.
- Tourist special line: Dongsheng District Bus Station of Ordos City has a tourist special line directly to Xiangshawan every day, departing at 8:30 and 10:00, with a driving time of about 1 hour and a fare of 30 yuan/person; Dalate Banner Bus Station has a bus to the scenic area every hour, with a driving time of about 40 minutes and a fare of 15 yuan/person.
- Train: Take the train to Dalate Banner Station, and after getting out of the station, you can take a taxi to the scenic area, with a driving time of about 20 minutes and a fare of about 30 yuan.
Must-Visit Attractions
- Singing Sand Core Area: You can experience the fun of sand sliding and feel the magical phenomenon of sand "singing". The sand dune is about 110 meters high and the sand sliding length is about 200 meters, which is the most representative attraction of the scenic area.
- Yuesha Leisure Island: The real-scene performance of "Ordos Wedding" is held twice a day (11:00, 15:00), reproducing the whole process of Mongolian wedding through singing and dancing. The performance lasts about 1 hour, showing a strong national culture.
- Xiansha Leisure Island: The desert off-road vehicle project is about 8 kilometers long, crossing multiple sand dunes, with an experience time of about 40 minutes, allowing you to feel the excitement and fun of desert adventure.
Tour Suggestions
- It is recommended to spend 1-2 days for the tour. If you choose to stay, it is recommended to stay at Liansha Resort Island or Fusha Resort Island to experience the beautiful scenery of desert sunrise and sunset.
- The best time to visit is from May to September, when the climate is pleasant, the desert temperature is moderate, and it is suitable for outdoor activities; sun protection measures should be taken in summer, and warmth should be paid attention to when visiting in winter (the temperature can be as low as -20℃).
- The sunlight in the scenic area is strong, so you need to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, sun hats and other sun protection products, and wear breathable long-sleeved clothes and non-slip sand shoes (sand socks can be rented in the scenic area, 10 yuan/pair).
- Water evaporates quickly in desert areas, so it is necessary to replenish water in time. It is recommended to carry 1-2 liters of drinking water with you. There are also many drinking points and shops in the scenic area.
Matters Needing Attention
- When participating in desert amusement projects, you must strictly follow the guidance of the staff, especially for projects such as desert off-road vehicles and sand sliding. You must fasten your safety equipment and do not operate the equipment without authorization.
- Littering is prohibited in the scenic area. Waste must be put into designated trash cans to protect the desert ecological environment.
- Mobile phone signals in desert areas may be unstable. It is recommended to keep in touch with peers and avoid acting alone. If you need to go deep into the desert for adventure, you must be accompanied by a scenic area guide.
- The surface temperature of the desert is extremely high at noon in summer (12:00-14:00) (up to 60℃ or more). It is recommended to rest indoors during this period to avoid heatstroke caused by long-term outdoor activities.
- Respect the customs and religious beliefs of the local Mongolian people. Take off your shoes before entering the yurt. Receive hada and toasts with both hands, and do not touch religious items at will.