Bashang
Where to stay:
Hotels are everywhere. If in Bashang, you should definitely stay in the local feature dwelling--Mongolian yurt. It's a wood-framed mobile house used by the nomads. It's designed to be easily dismantled and carried by camels. The complete construction only takes two hours. But now people build commercial yurts at Bashang for tourists to stay. They are a lot bigger and stronger. I stayed in the yurt for one night and it was like a regular hotel room, except the strangely shaped ceiling. It's the same price as regular hotels ($25-30), and if you don't mind, you can share a yurt with other people (there is a wall in the middle but not all the way to the top). It can get very cool even in summer. So bring a thin coat with you. There are also yurt restaurants. Now you can imagine how big it is.
 |
| Mongolian Yurt hotels |
 |
| Inside of the yurt
|
Late July to August is the busiest time for Bashang. There is a campfire party basically every night. People sing, and dance, and drink. There is no age limit for drinking in China, so have fun with that. And of course there are lots of delicious food. There is no social barrier at Bashang. People are known for their simplicity and hospitality. They welcome every visitor and bring out the best food.
 |
| People dancing at the campfire party |
Food:
Food is a very important aspect of the Mongolian life. People at Bashang are heavy in diary and meat, especially beef and lamb. The most famous food of Bashang is the roast whole lamb. People used to save the little lamb for the most honored guests. The cook will skewer the lamb after they clean the inside. The seasoning is mixed ahead of the time, containing oil, sesame paste, salt, pepper, and many other seasoning. When the outside meat is ready, people will slice the outside layer. Layer by layer, the lamb is finished and only the bones are left. Don't waste those bones. You can ask the cook to make bone soup while you enjoy a cool drink. The soup is very delicious because of all the seasoning left on the bones. And it's very nutritious, high Calcium, high protein.
Lamb kebab is also a local special. People skewer small cubes of soft lamb and roast them. It's very delicious relatively cheap.
 |
| Roast Whole Lamb |
 |
| Lamb Kebab |
