Xilingol Grassland: China’s New Star-Chasing Destination
On the vast grasslands of Inner Mongolia, a new kind of tourism is taking hold. From August 1-2, the First Ming’antu Star Nadam and the First Star Grassland Business Travel Season brought thousands of visitors to Zhengxiangbai Banner in Xilingol League, where they gathered not just for traditional Mongolian wrestling and archery, but to gaze at some of the clearest night skies in China. As Xinhua News Agency reported, the event marked a significant milestone in the region’s transformation into a premier “star chasing” destination.
A Land of Stars and Heritage
Zhengxiangbai Banner, located on the golden stargazing belt at 42 degrees north latitude, enjoys more than 200 clear nights per year with atmospheric transparency meeting international first-class standards. The banner is also the birthplace of Ming’antu (c. 1692-1763), a renowned Qing Dynasty Mongolian astronomer and mathematician who served as Director of the Imperial Observatory. Today, the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Ming’antu Field Science Observation Station operates in the region, housing the world-leading Ming’antu Radio Spectroheliograph and China’s first telescope dedicated to interplanetary scintillation monitoring.
According to Guangming Daily, the event featured a rich program blending science, culture, and entertainment. Visitors could participate in star-themed lectures led by astronomers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Nanjing University, attend a book-sharing session with science fiction writer Han Song, and enjoy performances by master horse-head fiddle artist Qi Baoligao, who played the iconic “Wan Ma Ben Teng” (Ten Thousand Horses Galloping).
From Sightseeing to Stargazing
Traditional Nadam festivals typically showcase wrestling, archery, and other Mongolian cultural practices. This year’s event added a distinctly celestial dimension. At the Zhengxiangbai Banner Star Culture Tourism Camp, visitors explored more than 20 star-themed and aerospace-themed attractions, including VR interstellar travel experiences, optical telescope observation, and hands-on workshops crafting sundials and star charts.
“Visitors to the camp fall into three main categories: stargazing, photography, and study tours, and the camp provides different tourism projects for each,” Liang Hua, director of the camp, told Xinhua Inner Mongolia.
The appeal extends beyond casual sightseers. Chen Yanru, a tourist from Xi’an who has been “star chasing” for seven to eight years, brought her son specifically for the event. “In Xi’an, I often go to the Qinling Mountains with friends to watch stars, but lying on the vast grassland to watch stars is a different feeling,” she said.
A Growing National Trend
Star tourism has emerged as a new consumption hotspot in China’s tourism industry, with more travelers seeking to “escape daytime hustle and embrace midnight magic.” Jiang Chenming, a star tourism planner and co-founder of Star Union CSVA, noted that stargazing offers significant emotional value. “The process of observing stars is also a process of spiritual healing,” he said. “As the country strengthens dark sky protection, there are more and more stargazing destinations nationwide. Zhengxiangbai Banner is located in a high-quality dark sky zone in northern China and has convenient transportation, making it very suitable for developing star tourism.”
The camp’s designation as a national 4A-level tourist attraction in 2025 and its recognition as a “National Science Education Base” reflect its growing importance. It has hosted four National Star Conferences and received nearly 100,000 visitors, including study tours for more than 5,700 students from 23 schools across Beijing, Zhangjiakou, Hohhot, Xi’an, Shenyang, Shanghai, and other cities.
Economic Impact and Rural Revitalization
For Zhengxiangbai Banner, which exited poverty status in 2019, star tourism has become a powerful economic driver. “Star tourism attracts over 100,000 visitors annually and has become a shining calling card for the banner’s cultural tourism development,” Deputy Banner Chief Liu Feng said. The banner plans to collect and organize materials about Ming’antu and other ancient astronomers to add cultural depth to star tourism, and will hold more star-themed cultural tourism activities.
The development aligns with Inner Mongolia’s broader strategy to transform its cultural tourism industry from sightseeing-oriented to experience-oriented and study-oriented models. As Xinhua Inner Mongolia reported, the Xilingol League has been investing heavily in tourism infrastructure, including the “Route 99” scenic highway and the “Mongolian Horse Super League,” while also achieving significant ecological restoration across more than 18 million mu of forest and grassland.
Looking to the Stars
As the sun sets over the grasslands and the first stars appear, Zhengxiangbai Banner’s transformation from a poverty-stricken county to a destination for celestial tourism represents a remarkable convergence of natural resources, historical heritage, and modern scientific infrastructure. With plans to expand star-themed activities, enhance cultural programming, and develop new facilities such as a blueberry industrial park combining smart agriculture with tourism, the “Star Grassland” brand appears poised to shine even brighter in the years ahead.