Naiman Banner 奈曼旗

History

Under the Liao and Jin the area formed the northern edge of Xingzhong prefecture (兴中府). In 1627 the Naiman chief Gunchuk (衮楚克), pressed by Ligdan Khan (林丹汗), submitted to Hong Taiji (皇太极), and in 1636 the Qing organised the Naiman people as a jasagh banner under the Juu Uda league (昭乌达盟). The banner passed to Jilin province with Jirim League (哲里木盟) in 1969, returned to Inner Mongolia in 1979 and became part of Tongliao city in 1999.

The banner government presents Naiman as an important cradle of the Hongshan culture (红山文化), Khitan culture and the West Liao River (西辽河) culture.

What to see

The joint tomb of the Liao Princess of Chen and her consort (辽代陈国公主与驸马合葬墓) lies about 10 kilometres northeast of Qinglongshan town (青龙山镇), at a village called Sibugetu (斯布格图). The princess was a daughter of Yelü Longqing (耶律隆庆). Excavated in 1986, the tomb yielded 3,227 grave goods, many of gold, silver, jade, agate, amber and pearl, which is rare because most Liao tombs found so far had been robbed. It became a protected site of Inner Mongolia in 1996.

The Naiman Prince's Mansion (奈曼王府) now houses the banner's mansion museum and keeps the architecture of a Qing commandery prince's residence. The Baogutu Desert is a national 4A scenic area and a national desert park, with camel caravans on the dunes and a desert naadam among its yearly events. Mengjiaduan is the first national wetland park in Tongliao and lies on the East Asian–Australasian flyway, where red-crowned cranes and swan geese stop in spring.

In Tuchengzi township (土城子乡), apricot groves cover the hills at the foot of outliers of the Yan Mountains (燕山). Miaotun folk village (庙屯民俗村) keeps earthen houses from the 1970s and 1980s, a mill house and a hall for Ulger (乌力格尔), the Mongolian storytelling art.

Food and local products

The Mengjiaduan reservoir produces more than 20 kinds of freshwater fish and is described by the banner government as the birthplace of the whole-fish banquet (全鱼宴). Charcoal-roasted beef jerky (炭烤牛肉干) and crafts of maifan stone (麦饭石) have won awards at China tourism-product contests and carry the "Inner Mongolia Gifts" label. The banner also counts Naiman prints (奈曼版画) and morin khuur (马头琴) skills among its intangible heritage, and the legend of Nuenjiya (诺恩吉雅), shadow-puppet making and the bomian (拨面) noodle technique are on the Inner Mongolia intangible heritage list.

Highlights

• Tomb of the Liao Princess of Chen and her consort 辽代陈国公主与驸马合葬墓: Liao royal tomb excavated in 1986 with 3,227 grave goods; Inner Mongolia protected site since 1996.
• Naiman Prince's Mansion 奈曼王府: Qing prince's residence, now the banner's mansion museum.
• Baogutu Desert 宝古图沙漠: National 4A scenic area and national desert park.
• Mengjiaduan National Wetland Park 孟家段国家湿地公园: Tongliao's first national wetland park, on a migratory bird flyway.
• Charcoal-roasted beef jerky 炭烤牛肉干: Award-winning local product sold as an Inner Mongolia Gift.