Xiangshawan Scenic Area is located in Dalad Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, at the eastern end of the Kubuqi Desert. It is a national 5A-level scenic area and a large desert-themed scenic area integrating sightseeing and vacation, leisure and entertainment, and desert exploration. The scenic area covers a total area of approximately 16,100 square kilometers, with a core tour area of approximately 24 square kilometers. It is renowned worldwide for the unique natural phenomenon of "singing sand" and is known as the "King of Resonant Sand." Here, sand dunes roll continuously, with the highest elevation at approximately 1,486 meters. The sand grains are pure and fine. When tourists slide down from the top of the dunes, the sand emits a humming sound, creating the rare "resonant sand" wonder. The scenic area has several distinctive tourism zones and is equipped with comprehensive dining, accommodation, and entertainment facilities, providing tourists with a full range of desert tourism experiences.
History and Culture
The "resonant sand" phenomenon of Xiangshawan was recorded in local historical materials as early as several hundred years ago. Local Mongolian herders call it "Bureng Mangha," meaning "dune with a horn," and many myths and legends about the resonant sand have been passed down, believing it to be a gift from the gods. These legends are integrated into the cultural beliefs of the Mongolian people and have become an important part of local ethnic culture.
With the development of the times, Xiangshawan gradually transformed from a mysterious natural wonder into a well-known tourist attraction. In the 1980s, local tourism development of Xiangshawan began. Under the premise of protecting the natural environment, tourism facilities were gradually improved, giving more people the opportunity to personally experience the wonder of the resonant sand. Today, Xiangshawan is not only a window for displaying the natural desert landscape, but also a platform for spreading Mongolian folk culture. The scenic area often holds events such as the Nadam Fair and Mongolian song and dance performances, allowing tourists to gain an in-depth understanding of the life customs and cultural traditions of the grassland ethnic groups.
Main Attractions
Liansha Resort Island
Liansha Resort Island is the core accommodation and leisure area of Xiangshawan, featuring lotus-shaped architecture that blends modern design with desert style. The resort area has luxury hotels, specialty restaurants, and leisure facilities. The architectural appearance complements the desert environment. Tourists here can enjoy a comfortable accommodation experience in the desert and at night can also admire the brilliant desert starry sky. The resort area covers an area of approximately 100,000 square meters and provides diversified services to meet the vacation needs of different tourists.
Fusha Resort Island
Fusha Resort Island is themed around Mongolian culture. The buildings on the island adopt the shape of traditional Mongolian yurts, showing a rich grassland ethnic style. There is a Mongolian folk custom experience area, where tourists can participate in traditional activities such as horse riding, archery, and making dairy foods, and watch folk performances such as Mongolian long songs and morin khuur. The resort island is also equipped with a desert hot spring, allowing tourists to enjoy the unique experience of soaking in a hot spring in the desert. It covers a total area of approximately 80,000 square meters and is an ideal place to experience Mongolian culture.
Yilisha Resort Village
Yilisha Resort Village is adjacent to the core scenic area of Xiangshawan and mainly features a simple and comfortable style, suitable for families and leisure tourists. The resort village has various room types and dining venues. Surrounding it is the vast desert landscape, and tourists can conveniently go to the dunes to experience sand sliding and other activities. The resort village covers an area of approximately 50,000 square meters and offers special projects such as desert off-roading and desert camping, allowing tourists to get close to the desert environment.
Yuesha Leisure Island
Yuesha Leisure Island is the core entertainment area of Xiangshawan, concentrating many desert amusement projects, including desert surfing vehicles, desert mini trains, and sand motorcycles. The island has a large performance venue, where the live-action performance "Ordos Wedding" is staged daily, recreating the grand scene of a traditional Mongolian wedding through wonderful plot and costume displays. The leisure island covers an area of approximately 120,000 square meters and is the main area for tourists to experience desert entertainment projects.
Xiansha Leisure Island
Xiansha Leisure Island features exciting desert exploration projects and is suitable for tourists who like adventure. There are challenging projects such as high-altitude zip lines, desert bungee jumping, and desert off-road vehicles. Among them, the high-altitude zip line spans approximately 500 meters, allowing tourists to overlook the panoramic desert view from high above; the desert off-road vehicle track is approximately 8 kilometers long, crossing dunes and gullies, bringing a strong driving experience. The leisure island also has a children's play area, providing desert games suitable for parent-child interaction, with a total area of approximately 100,000 square meters.
Food
Hand-Grabbed Meat
Hand-grabbed meat is a traditional Mongolian dish and also a specialty dish in the Xiangshawan Scenic Area. Fresh mutton is selected, boiled in clear water, and eaten dipped in salt. The meat is tender and juicy, retaining the original flavor of the mutton. In the yurt restaurants in the scenic area, tourists can taste hand-grabbed meat while enjoying Mongolian song and dance performances, experiencing authentic grassland food culture.
Roast Whole Lamb
Roast whole lamb is the highest courtesy for receiving guests among the Mongolian people, and this dish can be tasted in the specialty dining area of Xiangshawan. Locally grazed lambs are selected, specially marinated, and then roasted over traditional charcoal fire. The outer skin is golden and crispy, and the meat is tender and flavorful. Roast whole lamb is usually accompanied by a grand ceremony, with Mongolian singers performing toasting songs, allowing tourists to experience a rich ethnic style.
Milk Skin
Milk skin is a traditional Mongolian dairy product, and freshly made milk skin can be tasted in the folk custom experience area of the scenic area. It is made from fresh milk as a raw material through processes such as boiling and drying. It has a delicate and mellow taste and is rich in nutrition. Milk skin can be eaten directly or paired with milk tea, roasted rice, and other foods. It is a food loved by local herders and reflects the dietary wisdom of the Mongolian people.
Desert Roasted Eggs
Desert roasted eggs are a specialty snack of Xiangshawan. Using the abundant sunlight and high temperature of the desert, eggs are buried in the sand and naturally roasted. This unique cooking method preserves the nutrition of the eggs. They have a tender taste with a faint burnt aroma and are a fun food that tourists should not miss in the desert. They can be bought at snack stalls in the scenic area.
Tickets：
Package ticket: 260 yuan/person (including admission, cableway, Xiansha Leisure Island, excluding camel).
You can search for the official WeChat public account "Xiangshawan" to get the latest updates or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours：
The opening hours of the scenic area are adjusted according to the seasons. From April 1 to October 31, it is the peak season, with opening hours from 8:00 to 18:00; from November 1 to March 31 of the following year, it is the off-season, with opening hours from 9:00 to 17:00 (some amusement projects may be suspended in the off-season). Ticket sales stop 1.5 hours before closing every day. Tourists are advised to arrange their itineraries reasonably to avoid missing the entry time.
Tour Route：
After entering the scenic area, tourists first take the cableway across a tributary of the Yellow River to reach the desert entrance (about 10 minutes); then go to Yuesha Leisure Island to experience the desert mini train and watch the "Ordos Wedding" performance, which takes about 3 hours; have lunch at the Yuesha Island restaurant (about 1 hour); in the afternoon, go to Xiansha Leisure Island to participate in exciting projects such as desert off-road vehicles and high-altitude zip lines, which take about 2.5 hours; afterward, go to the core resonant sand area to experience the fun of sand sliding and feel the "resonant sand" wonder, which takes about 1.5 hours; finally return to Liansha Resort Island to rest, or take the cableway to leave the scenic area. The entire tour lasts about 8-9 hours, allowing a comprehensive experience of the main features of the scenic area.
Transportation：
Self-driving: Starting from Dongsheng District, Ordos City, drive along the Baotou-Maoming Expressway to the Dalad Banner exit, then drive along the Xiangshawan tourism special line. The whole journey is about 50 kilometers and takes about 1 hour. Starting from Hohhot, drive along the Beijing-Tibet Expressway and transfer to the Baotou-Maoming Expressway, get off at the Dalad Banner exit. The whole journey is about 180 kilometers and takes about 2.5 hours. The parking fee in the scenic area parking lot is 10 yuan/day for small vehicles and 20 yuan/day for large vehicles.
Tourism special line: The bus station in Dongsheng District, Ordos City has a tourism special line directly to Xiangshawan every day. Departure times are 8:30 and 10:00. The journey takes about 1 hour, and the fare is 30 yuan/person. The Dalad Banner bus station has a shuttle bus to the scenic area every hour. The journey takes about 40 minutes, and the fare is 15 yuan/person.
Train: Take the train to Dalad Banner Station. After leaving the station, you can take a taxi to the scenic area. The journey takes about 20 minutes, and the fare is about 30 yuan.
Must-Play Attractions：
Core Resonant Sand Area: You can experience the fun of sand sliding and feel the magical phenomenon of sand "singing." The dune height is about 110 meters, and the sand sliding length is about 200 meters. It is the most representative attraction in the scenic area.
Yuesha Leisure Island: The live-action performance "Ordos Wedding" is performed twice daily (11:00, 15:00), recreating the entire process of a Mongolian wedding through song and dance. The performance lasts about 1 hour and shows rich ethnic culture.
Xiansha Leisure Island: The desert off-road vehicle project is about 8 kilometers in total, crossing multiple dunes. The experience lasts about 40 minutes, allowing you to feel the excitement and fun of desert exploration.
Travel Suggestions：
Suggested tour duration is 1-2 days. If choosing accommodation, it is recommended to stay at Liansha Resort Island or Fusha Resort Island to experience the beautiful scenery of desert sunrise and sunset.
The best season to visit is from May to September, when the climate is suitable and the desert temperature is moderate, making it suitable for outdoor activities; in summer, sun protection measures should be taken, and in winter, attention should be paid to keeping warm (temperatures can drop to -20°C).
The scenic area has strong sunlight. It is necessary to carry sunscreen, sunglasses, sun hats, and other sun protection items, and wear breathable long-sleeved clothing and anti-slip sand shoes (sand socks can be rented in the scenic area, 10 yuan/pair).
Water evaporates quickly in the desert, so it is necessary to replenish water in time. It is recommended to carry 1-2 liters of drinking water with you. There are also many drinking water points and shops in the scenic area.
Precautions：
When participating in desert amusement projects, strictly follow the guidance of staff. Especially for projects such as desert off-road vehicles and sand sliding, be sure to fasten safety equipment and do not operate equipment without authorization.
Littering is prohibited in the scenic area. Waste must be placed in designated trash bins to protect the desert ecological environment.
Mobile phone signals in the desert area may be unstable. It is recommended to keep in contact with companions and avoid acting alone. If you need to go deep into the desert for exploration, you must be accompanied by a scenic area guide.
At noon in summer (12:00-14:00), the desert surface temperature is extremely high (can exceed 60°C). It is recommended to rest indoors during this period to avoid prolonged outdoor activities that may cause heatstroke.
Respect the local Mongolian customs and habits. Before entering a yurt, you need to take off your shoes. When accepting a hada and a toast, you need to receive them with both hands. Do not touch religious items at will.