Linhe District 临河区

History

Linhe County was one of three counties set up on newly reclaimed land. Wang Tongchun (王同春, 1852–1925), who came to Hetao from Xingtai (邢台) in 1864 as a boy in the "going beyond the western pass" (走西口) migration, dug five main canals in the Houtao (后套) region from 1881, and late-Qing and early-Republican governments set up Wuyuan, Linhe and Anbei counties on land he had opened. The district descends from the Republican-era Linhe administrative bureau (临河设治局) and Linhe County.

The Wujia River (乌加河), a former course of the Yellow River, crosses the north of the district on its way to Wuliangsuhai Lake (乌梁素海); it now serves as the main drainage channel of the Hetao irrigation district.

What to see

The Bayannur culture and tourism bureau lists several graded sites in the district. The Bayannur Natural History Museum (巴彦淖尔市自然博物馆) on Xinhua West Street is a 3A site. The Inner Mongolia Hetao Culture Museum (内蒙古河套文化博物院) is in the Wenbo Centre on Wuyi Street. The Yellow River Bay pedestrian street (黄河湾步行街) is on Jinchuan Avenue, Qingchun Lake (青春湖) lies in Chengguan town, and the Hetao Intangible Heritage Town (河套非遗小镇) occupies the old Jiuzhuang (酒庄) settlement.

The Inner Mongolia Department of Culture and Tourism includes the Hetao Pear Blossom Festival (河套梨花节) in its spring and summer travel routes: visitors go to the village clusters of Ganzhaomiao (干召庙) and Shuanghe (双河镇) to walk among white pear blossom and eat country meals with village households.

Hetao College (河套学院), a public undergraduate college, is in the district; it began in 1985 as Hetao University, a junior college, and was raised to undergraduate status in 2012.

Getting oriented

Three railways serve the district: the Baotou–Lanzhou line (包兰铁路), the Linhe–Hami line (临哈铁路) and the Baotou–Yinchuan high-speed railway (包银高速铁路). The G6 Beijing–Lhasa and G7 Beijing–Ürümqi expressways and National Highway 110 pass through, and flights use Bayannur Tianjitai Airport (巴彦淖尔天吉泰机场).

Highlights

• Bayannur Natural History Museum 巴彦淖尔市自然博物馆: 3A-graded museum on Xinhua West Street.
• Inner Mongolia Hetao Culture Museum 内蒙古河套文化博物院: Museum in the Wenbo Centre on Wuyi Street.
• Yellow River Bay pedestrian street 黄河湾步行街: Graded pedestrian street on Jinchuan Avenue.
• Hetao Pear Blossom Festival 河套梨花节: Pear blossom festival in the village clusters of Ganzhaomiao and Shuanghe.
• Hetao Intangible Heritage Town 河套非遗小镇: Graded site in the old Jiuzhuang settlement.