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People Rush to Genghis Khan's Home to Evade Sunstroke
Dozens of thousands of visitors are rushing to northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, where Genghis Khan had fought and lived, to evade the terrible sunstroke this year.
Meteorological departments say that most cities in north China have been experiencing one of the hottest summers in history, however, temperature in Inner Mongolia is five degree centigrade lower compared with Beijing and Tianjin.
Many experts hold that it was the cold weather that forced Mongolian hordes on grassland to evade southern cities for food and treasure, and finally built their huge empire.
Some 700 years ago, when Genghis Khan's offspring conquered China, The Mongolian Plateau was the place where the Emperor and nobles spent the summer. When the weather turned hot, they left capital Beijing and rushed to Shangdu, a temporary capital that was rich in forest and grass.
"It is cool here. I have entered the Heaven," said Zhang Lin, a tourist from Beijing. He added that he eyed Inner Mongolia as his Xanadu.
Railway stations and airports are jammed with people from different parts of the country. Liu Hongyan, an official with the local aviation administration said that 80 percent of the planes' seats are usually occupied.
Zhao Jun, deputy general of the Inner Mongolian Branch of China Youth Travel Service, said that his company has received more than 2,000 people since June, with most of them from Beijing and Tianjin.
Besides comfortable weather, beautiful grassland and authentic Mongolian tradition are two things attracting heartland tourists, who are longing for natural scenery, ethnic dances and chaste girls. Many of them like to visit the mausoleum of Genghis Khan located in the Il Yu League.
Beijing and Inner Mongolia have entered into an agreement to invest 100 million yuan (US$12 million) to develop tourism in the region.
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