Bayan Hot

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Introduction

Yanfu, Mongolian Temple

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Bayan Hot (阿拉山左旗 Alashan Zuoqi) is small Mongolian town just on the north west side of the Helan Mountains. This town has an outpost feel as it is nestled next to the mountains on one side and the desert just to the west slowly moving up to it. Some of the far western parts of the town look like they are about to buried in sand.

The Yanfu temple is main sight just outside of town. This Mongolian Buddhist temple is over 300 years old and at one time had over 200 lamas living there. Today the number of lamas has settled around 30. Also in the city itself there is a very nice local temple that rarely has visitors. Although most tourists just do a day trip to Bayan Hot from Yinchuan a tourist can enjoy a few days here walking the streets, hiking in the mountains and taking in the local flavor.

Neighborhoods

Bayan Hot is an extremely small town and doesn’t have neighborhoods.

Sights and Activities

Small Local Temple in the city of Bayan Hot

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• Yanfu Temple (延福寺) is a very nice temple located about 45 minutes from Bayan Hot on the highway to Ningxia. It is recommended to hire a car to take you to and from the temple because it is about a 25 minute drive from the highway to the temple. The drive is stunning following a narrow canyon up the mountainside. During the summer time there are tourist buses to take you around the different scenic spots near the temple. If your looking to be there alone, the winter time is much nicer because most things shuts down allowing the monks to live a more normal life. A very nice activity is to climb to the second floor of the temple and watch the lamas pray. To hire a round trip taxi from Bayan Hot it is about 130 RMB, an entrance ticket to the temple is 25 RMB.

• Desert Theme Park is located just outside of town. Instead of turning towards the Yanfu temple go the other way from the main highway. This place is meant for Chinese tourists looking for camel rides, inflated goat stomachs raft boat rides and sand dune sledding.

• Bayan Hot Temple (阿拉山左旗寺) is a small local temple located at Wangfu Jie and Nanda Jie (王俯街和南大街), entrance fee is 5 RMB. This is a very nice fusion Tibetan, Mongolian and Chinese Buddhist temple. There are three large prayer halls and two smaller ones. Of the three large prayer halls the one furthest from the entrance is the most impressive with large statues and nice calligraphy in Tibetan, Mongolian and Chinese. Next door to the temple is a large traditional courtyard home that is not currently open to the public. Although if you climb the hill behind the temple you can look into the home and see a Mongolian tent set up in one of the back courtyards.

Rock Market

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• Sunday Rock Market is located in the plaza in front of the Bayan Hot Temple and across the street from the minority hospital. If you love rocks or just think they are pretty this is the place for you. Nomads come in from the countryside to sell raw ore to polished gems on stands at bargain basement prices. Rocks sold for about fifty RMB here can go for thousands of RMB in major east coast cities. Just remember that bargaining is key, rocks are heavy in backpacks and brushing up on some Mongolian might help you get a lower price. There are a few vendors selling antiques but the choices are limited. The market starts at about 7 am and ends in the mid afternoon.

Events and Festivals

The town is very diverse and all major Han, Mongolian and Muslim holidays are celebrated.

Weather

Being located north and on the desert offers intense climate changes. Because of the desert the temperature change from day to night can be extreme year round. During the summer expect very hot days and cool nights. While in the winter be prepared for cold days with freezing nights with the occasional snowstorm. There are frequent sandstorms in spring and summer.

Getting There

Bus is the only option. The main bus station is located roughly in the center of town in an old style communist shopping mall. Most people that visit Bayan Hot come from Yinchuan, although the bus station does have several buses to other cities in Inner Mongolia making it possible to continue a trip.

From Yinchuan the bus takes between 1 and half hours to 2 and half hours depending on how much the bus cruises around looking for more passengers. Buses leave from the south bus station in Yinchuan every half hour from 8 am to 6 pm. If the bus does not fill up in the south bus station it will stop at the new city bus station near the train station for more passengers before leaving for Bayan Hot. Similarly buses leave every half hour from Bayan Hot to Yinchuan starting at 8 am to 6 pm every day. This is a very nice bus ride going through the mountains and some very desolate territory. The bus also drives by the Xia Tombs and a dirt section of the Great Wall that is the current day border of Inner Mongolia and Ningxia.

Getting Around

Camels near Yanfu Temple

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Although taxi’s and motorbikes cruise the town they are really only useful if planning to visit some areas nearby. The best method is to walk around town. The town slops up towards the Helan Mountains and slides down towards the desert. There is now a large stadium in the upper section of town that makes for a good landmark for walking around. So does the minority hospital that has a concrete Mongolian tent on the top of it. Some of the fancier hotels are large enough that they can be seen from most of town also.

Eat

There are several Muslim and Chinese restaurants scattered around town. If looking for traditional Mongolian food, try some of the restaurants near the bus station or the local temple.

Drink

If looking for some booze the only options are in restaurants or buying beer and bringing it back to your hotel room. During the summer time it might be possible to drink on the street with a karuochar (meat on a stick) vendor.

Sleep

There are now several midrange Chinese hotels located at the lower sections of town near the desert and the highway. These places ask for about 200 RMB a night but it is possible to bargain for a much lower rate, especially in the winter.

There is a very cheap hotel located right next to the bus station but it is hard to spot. The name is only in Chinese characters and it has no neon signs. The lobby is tiny, try to look for a small desk with someone using an abacus. Private rooms with a private bath and television are only 50 RMB. There were also rooms without private bath that are cheaper.

Keep Connected

Internet

There is a small Internet café near the bus station.

Phone

Several of the small shops offer pay by the minute phone service

Post

The main post office is near the bus station, although it might be better to wait for a larger town if planning to send any international post.