Old Barag Banner 陈巴尔虎旗

History

The name records a Qing frontier posting. In 1732 the court moved 275 Barga Mongol (巴尔虎) soldiers and their families here to guard the border; these first arrivals became the "Chen", or old, Barga, while the Barga who came two years later were called the New Barga (新巴尔虎). The banner was separated from two of the Solon banners in 1919.

Much older remains survive. The Liao built a rammed-earth walled town about 2,000 metres round, west of today's Haotetaohai (浩特陶海) state farm, as a frontier stronghold, and a 22.5-kilometre stretch of the Jin-dynasty border trench (金界壕) runs along the south bank of the Ergun. Chinese Wikipedia names the Haotetaohai ancient city and the Jin border trench as the banner's two nationally protected sites.

What to see

The banner has five rivers, among them the Hailar River (海拉尔河), the Ergun and the Morgul River (莫尔格勒河), which the banner government says is known as "天下第一曲水" ("the most winding river under heaven"); the "Hulunbuir Grassland · Morgul River" scenic area was rated a national 5A scenic area in 2024. The banner government counts 317 lakes, headed by Hohe Nuur (呼和诺尔湖), and 95 natural mineral springs.

The festival year includes a grassland Naadam (那达慕), a winter ice-and-snow Naadam, a Naadam for Mongolian wrestling (搏克), a fire-worship festival and a horse-culture festival, and the banner was named an Inner Mongolia home of horse culture in 2023. Chinese Wikipedia describes the Evenki Ethnic Sumu (鄂温克民族苏木) within the banner as the only ethnic sumu in China.

Food and local products

Four local products are on the national list of noted special farm products: Chen Barag red-headed sheep (陈巴尔虎旗红头羊), Chen Barag cattle, grass-fed milk and rapeseed.

Getting oriented

The seat, Bayan Kuren (巴彦库仁镇), lies 35 kilometres from Hailar (海拉尔), the centre of Hulunbuir, 160 kilometres from Manzhouli (满洲里) and 145 kilometres from the Heishantou (黑山头) border port. The G10 expressway and national roads G301, G331 and G332 cross the banner, as does the Binzhou railway (滨洲铁路) for 92 kilometres.

Highlights

• Hulunbuir Grassland · Morgul River Scenic Area 莫尔格勒河景区: Rated a national 5A scenic area in 2024; the river is known for its winding course.
• Jin border trench 金界壕: A 22.5-kilometre stretch runs along the south bank of the Ergun River.
• Haotetaohai ancient city 浩特陶海古城: Listed by Chinese Wikipedia as one of the banner's two nationally protected sites.
• Chen Barag red-headed sheep 陈巴尔虎旗红头羊: One of four local products on the national list of noted farm products.