Arun Banner Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Jun)

The Rhododendrons of Xing'an are in full bloom, creating a sea of flowers: The mountains and forests of Arong Banner are completely dyed in rouge

Arong Banner is located at the southernmost tip of Hulunbuir City in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on the eastern foothills of the Greater Xing'an Range, overlooking the Songnen Plain. It boasts a wealth of ecological resources including forests, grasslands, wetlands, and rivers. Arong Banner is named after the Alun River that flows through the area, where 'Alun' and 'Arong' are different translations of the same word, meaning 'clean' or 'pure' in the Daur language. Arong Banner has been a habitat for northern nomadic hunting tribes since ancient times. After Genghis Khan divided the eastern territories among his princes, this area became the fief of his younger brother Temüge Wochi Jin. During the Yuan Dynasty, it was governed by the Taining Road of Liaoyang Province. In the tenth year of the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, Alunwei was established in the Alun River basin, but it was actually controlled by the Khorchin Mongols. During the Qing Dynasty, it was a hunting ground for the Solon Evenki, under the administration of the Butaha General Administration. Today, 27 ethnic groups including Han, Mongolian, Evenki, and Korean live in harmony in Arong Banner, creating a diverse and colorful folk culture. Suolchi National Wetland Park is located in the western part of Arong Banner. 'Suolchi' means 'fish migration' in the Evenki language, named after the winding and clear Suolchi River that runs through the wetlands. It is the first national wetland park on the eastern foothills of the Greater Xing'an Range, with a total area of 1,256.37 hectares. The region is characterized by dense forests, shallow grassy beaches, interlaced water bays and ponds, and waterfowl foraging and resting. It is an important ecological security barrier for the eastern foothills of the Greater Xing'an Range and the Nen River basin. At the end of April, Suolchi National Wetland Park is covered with blooming rhododendrons, creating a purple-red sea of flowers. The fragrance of the Xing'an rhododendrons fills every breeze, and the flowers bloom wildly across the mountains and fields in the spring wind of the Greater Xing'an Range, appearing from afar like the mountains and forests are completely dyed in rouge, a sight too beautiful for words.