Arxan 阿尔山市

Setting and landscape

The city government places Arxan where the Hulunbuir (呼伦贝尔), Horqin (科尔沁), Xilingol (锡林郭勒) and Mongolian grasslands meet, in a transition zone between forest and grassland, with forest over more than 80 percent of the land. There are 42 hot and cold springs, whose water ranges from 1°C to 45°C and differs in chemistry from spring to spring. Winters are long and cold, with a January mean of −25.1°C, and summers short and cool.

History

The springs were formally developed from 1853, in the Qing Xianfeng reign. In 1933 the Japanese army built a sanatorium here, the Yamato Hotel (大和旅社), piping spring water indoors, and in 1948 the People's Liberation Army set up its own sanatorium. The area was a town of Horqin Right Front Banner (科尔沁右翼前旗) until it became a development zone in 1992, and it was made a county-level city in 1996.

What to see

Arxan National Forest Park (阿尔山国家森林公园) is a landscape of volcanic lava, with a high crater lake, lakes dammed by lava, and mineral springs. Its developed sights include Tuofengling Tianchi (驼峰岭天池), a lake filling a volcanic crater, Azalea Lake (杜鹃湖), the Santan Gorge (三潭峡), a river that does not freeze (不冻河), and Shitanglin (石塘林), a lava field that a report on the Ministry of Culture and Tourism website likens to a natural museum of volcanic lava geology.

Arxan Station (阿尔山站) on the Baicheng–Arxan railway was begun in 1935 and opened in 1937, built by the Japanese army to carry off local minerals, and first named Wenquan ("hot spring") Station. As part of the remains of the Japanese Arxan fortress it became a national key heritage site in 2013.

Getting oriented

Arxan borders Zalantun (扎兰屯) to the east, Xilingol League and Mongolia to the west, New Barag Left and Ewenki banners of Hulunbuir to the north, and Horqin Right Front Banner to the south, with 98.01 kilometres of frontier. The Arxan border crossing (阿尔山口岸), 45 kilometres west of the city on the Numrug River (努木尔根河), faces Mongolia's Sumber crossing. Railways run to Baicheng (白城) and to Yimin (伊敏).

Highlights

• Arxan National Forest Park 阿尔山国家森林公园: Volcanic lava landscape with a crater lake, lava-dammed lakes and the Shitanglin lava field.
• Tuofengling Tianchi 驼峰岭天池: Mountain lake formed where water filled a volcanic crater.
• Arxan Station 阿尔山站: Station opened in 1937; national key heritage site from 2013.
• Arxan hot springs 阿尔山温泉: 42 springs from 1°C to 45°C, developed from 1853.