At the foot of northern China's rolling Greater Xing'an Mountains, near the China-Mongolia border, there is a legendary city named Arxan. It is a sparsely populated place, with an urban population of about 5,000 people. Beautiful landscapes, well-preserved virgin forests and grasslands, along with plentiful mineral and spring resources, however, bestow the city an endless charm similar to that of picturesque Switzerland.

Arxan means "hot holy water" in Mongolian. Two and a half kilometers north of the city, there are 48 hot springs scattered around a strip of land 540 meters in length and 70 meters in width. The hot springs are very near each other, but they vary in temperature and curing effect.

The formation of these hot springs is thanks to the volcanoes here. Arxan is famous as Asia's largest and most complete volcanic landform, Here, there is volcanic ash, lava, cones, craters, and, yes, hot springs. In recent years, it has become one of the hottest destinations for volcanic research and travel. In 2004, the Arxan Hot Springs Geological Park was put onto the list of National Geoparks.

In addition to volcanic craters, Arxan also has countless barrier lakes formed by lava dams. Among them are Azalea Lake, surrounded by blooming azaleas, Pine-Leaf Lake, with pine needles drifting over the surface, Deer-Neighing Lake, haunted by herds of deer, Crane Lake and its wild cranes, and Glasses Lake, shaped like a pair of glasses. These lakes are connected to one another like a glittering sapphire necklace. Here, we can say that the existence of water owes to fire.

The volcanic movements have greatly fertilized the land, making Arxan one of the most fertile grasslands in China. Four famous grasslands join together here, including the Hulun Buir Grassland in the east, the Xilingol Grassland in the west, the Horqin Grassland where Genghis Khan battled in the south, and the Mongolia Grassland in the north. Arxan is also known as the birthplace of the Mongolian nation; Genghis Khan's mother and wife were both from the Arxan Grassland.

Travel tips:
Arxan has convenient transportation, and can be reached by air, train, or bus. The airports in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region's Ulanhot and Hulun Buir are about 220 kilometers away from the city. There are railways running throughout the city. There are also luxury buses shuttling along the Ulanhot-Arxan and Hulun Buir-Arxan Highways. It takes only seven or eight hours to drive from Beijing to Arxan. There are tour buses linking Arxan's urban area to its scenic spots.

 (China Pictorial July 9, 2004)