Inner Mongolia: Where lambs arrive on plates and brides leave on horses

By Faisal Kidwai (chinadaily.com.cn)

Updated: 2015-07-02

Guests exchange snuff bottle, a Mongolian tradition, with the 'groom' at a mock wedding organized for diplomats and visitors in the middle of a desert in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, June 27, 2015. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

From Genghis Khan and roasted lamb, head to Kangbashi, the swankiest district in Ordos. Its impeccably landscaped roads, giant statues of horses and huge plazas are unlike anything you have ever seen. Even more awe-inspiring is that it’s so clean that streets, sidewalks and thoroughfares glisten like the lobby of a five-star hotel.

Some places worth a visit are the Ordos Museum, a 41,000-square-foot blob highlighting the diverse culture and traditions of Inner Mongolia, the next door Library of Ordos, designed to look like books stacked on a shelf and a theater created in the shape of a yurt.

But nothing can beat an evening spent watching Asia's biggest fountain show in downtown Ordos. The synchronized display of water and flashing lights surrounded by wide sidewalks is one of the most beautiful sights.

If you are planning a trip to Ordos make sure you spend an evening being mesmerized by the beauty of the show.

Inner Mongolia is so huge that you would need days, if not weeks, to enjoy all of its attractions, but it is still worth visiting even if you can't spare more than three or four days.