Overview
| Name | Arxan 阿尔山 |
| Web address | https://parkofchina.com/en/aershan.html |
| Designation | National 5A tourist attraction (Arxan–Chaihe, 2017); UNESCO Global Geopark (2017) |
| Province | Inner Mongolia |
| Location | Arxan City, Hinggan League, Inner Mongolia; central Greater Khingan Range |
| Latitude, longitude | 47.37, 120.48 Google Maps |
| Highlights | Volcanic landscape, crater lakes, lava fields, Greater Khingan forest |
| Top sights | Arxan Tianchi, Tuofengling Tianchi, Dujuan Lake, Shitanglin, Santan Gorge |
| Nearby cities | Harbin, Changchun, Qiqihar |
| Nearby sites | Zhalantun Scenic Area, Ergun |
| Themes | Volcano, Lake, Forest, Mountain, River, Hot springs |
About
Arxan lies in the central Greater Khingan Range in eastern Inner Mongolia, near the border with Mongolia. It is a national 5A tourist attraction and a UNESCO Global Geopark. The name comes from Mongolian and means “hot holy water”, after the local hot springs.
The landscape was left by Quaternary volcanoes: cones, crater lakes and lava fields scattered through forests of larch and birch. The main sights lie along a road in Arxan National Forest Park, north-east of the city.
Arxan Tianchi and Tuofengling Tianchi are high lakes filling volcanic craters. Dujuan Lake and Songye Lake formed where lava dammed the valleys; Dujuan Lake is named after the rhododendrons on its shore, which flower in spring.
Shitanglin is a broad sea of solidified lava, with moss and larch growing from the cracks. The Halaha River flows out of this area and cuts through the lava at Santan Gorge in a stretch of rapids and deep pools.
Map
Places on the map: Arxan Tianchi 阿尔山天池 C5, Tuofengling Tianchi 驼峰岭天池 G2, Dujuan Lake 杜鹃湖 F2/F3, Shitanglin 石塘林 D4/E4, Santan Gorge 三潭峡 D6, Wusulangzi Lake 乌苏浪子湖 B5/B6, Songye Lake 松叶湖 H3, Luming Lake 鹿鸣湖 E3, Jinjianggou Visitor Centre 金江沟游客中心 A6, Tianchi Town 天池镇 C6.
Travel tips
Getting there: Arxan has Yirshi Airport and a railway station. The forest park is about 50 km from the city, with sightseeing buses inside.
Time: the sights in the forest park are far apart; allow one or two days.
Season: summer is cool, and from mid to late September the larch and birch turn yellow, the best time to come. Winter is severe, with ice, snow and hot springs.
Hot springs: there are hot springs in the city, which can be combined with the forest park.
Photo credits: Arxan Tianchi: YuZhiChong (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons); Dujuan Lake: 維基小霸王 (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons); Shitanglin: 維基小霸王 (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)
Nearby
| World Heritage | Landscapes of Dauria 540km, Chengde Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples 738km, The Great Wall 857km, The Forbidden City (Palace Museum), Beijing 891km |
| National parks | Zhalantun Scenic Area 169km, Ergun 321km, Wudalianchi 445km, Sun Island 500km |
| AAAAA attractions | Hulunbuir Grassland - Morgol River Scenic Area 229km, Zhalong Ecotourism Area 285km, China-Russia Border Tourist Area, Manzhouli 341km, Da'an Nenjiang Bay Tourist Area 356km |
| AAAA attractions | Daerbin Lake National Forest Park 16km, Nuogan Lake 92km |
| Cities | Qiqihar 257km |
| Historical sites | Site of the Arxan Fortress of the Japanese Invaders 46km |
| Nature reserves | Horqin National Nature Reserve 129km, Huihe National Nature Reserve 171km, Tumuji National Nature Reserve 226km, Longwan National Nature Reserve 263km |