Alxa League (阿拉善盟)

1. Introduction

Alxa League (Mongolian: ᠠᠯᠠᠱᠠ ᠠᠶᠢᠮᠠᠭ, Hanyu Pinyin letters: Alshaa aimag, Poppe transcription: Alaśa ayimay, Cyrillic: Алшаа аймаг) is a league under the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, located in the western part of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Its southwestern border adjoins Gansu Province, its southeastern border neighbors the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, its eastern boundary is adjacent to Wuhai City, Ordos City, and Bayannur City, and its northern border shares a 735-kilometer-long frontier with Mongolia. Situated on the Alxa Plateau in western Inner Mongolia, the league encompasses the Badain Jaran Desert, Tengger Desert, and Ulan Buh Desert from west to east. The eastern part features the remnants of the Yin Mountains, the southeastern part is bordered by the Helan Mountains, the western part by the Mazong Mountains, and the southern part by the Heli Mountains and Longshou Mountains. The Yellow River flows along its eastern edge, while the Ejin River in the west flows north into Juyan Lake. The league covers a total area of 248,100 square kilometers, with the Han ethnic group comprising approximately 75% of the population and the Mongolian ethnic group about 19%. The league's administrative office is located in Bayanhot Town, Alxa Left Banner. Major tourist attractions include the ruins of Heicheng (Black City), a significant military stronghold of the Western Xia Dynasty, the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, and the Euphrates poplar forests.

2. Name History

The name "Alxa" is said to be a phonetic transformation of "Helan Mountain," meaning "the land of five colors" in Mongolian. Another theory suggests it originates from Turkic, referring to a mythical beast in ancient legends.

3. History

Within the Alxa League territory lie the Ejin River and Juyan Lake, which served as grazing lands for nomadic tribes. Among the nineteen tribes of the Xiongnu, the Helan tribe originally inhabited this area. After Qin Shi Huang unified the six states, he established the Beidi Commandery in the northeastern part of the Alxa region. During the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of Han campaigned against the Xiongnu and established the Four Commanderies of Hexi, with the Alxa League area belonging to Zhangye Commandery. In the third year of the Taichu era (102 BC), 180,000 soldiers were conscripted to garrison and farm the Hexi frontier, establishing Juyan and Xiutu counties in the north. In the first year of the Benshi era of Emperor Xuan of Han (73 BC), Juyan County was placed under the administration of Zhangye Commandery. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Zhangye Juyan Dependent State was separately established, later renamed the Xihai Commandery.

During the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties period, the states of Wei, Western Jin, Former Liang, Later Liang, and Western Liang continued to maintain the Xihai Commandery. In the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Alxa region was under the jurisdiction of Liangzhou. From the Sui Dynasty to the early Tang Dynasty, the Alxa region belonged to Ganzhou and Suzhou. In the second year of the Chuigong era (686 AD), the Tang dynasty temporarily relocated the Anbei Protectorate from north of the Gobi Desert to south of the Gobi. The protectorate's seat was at Tongcheng, located within present-day Ejin Banner. In the second year of the Tianbao era of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (743 AD), the Tang dynasty established the Ningkou Army to oversee military affairs in Juyan. When the Western Xia state was founded in 1038, it established 12 military supervisory commands, with a garrison of 50,000 troops along the Helan Mountains. In the Juyan area, the "Heishui Zhenyan Military Command" was set up, with its seat at the present-day Heicheng (Black City) in Ejin Banner. During the Yuan Dynasty, the Yijinai Route was established, under the jurisdiction of the Gansu Branch Secretariat, managing military and administrative affairs. The Chief Administrator's office was stationed at Heicheng, also known as Khara-Khoto.

In the fifth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1372), a 50,000-strong western route Ming army marched beyond the frontier, its forces directly targeting the Yijinai Route. The defending general of Khara-Khoto, Buyan Temür, was defeated. In the seventeenth year of Hongwu (1384), Song Sheng led troops to capture Yijinai and established the old Yijinai city. Later, between Suzhou and Yijinai Lake, the Weilou Guard, the Baichengzi Defense Thousand-Household Office, and the Weiyuan Defense Thousand-Household Office were established, connecting to the old Yijinai city. In the early Qing Dynasty, the Mongol Khoshut tribe's Taiji, Horoli, resided in this area. Emperor Kangxi granted him grazing lands outside the Ningxia frontier, establishing the Alxa Ööld Banner. During the Qianlong era, the Mongol Torghut tribe living in the lower Volga River region gradually migrated back to China. Emperor Qianlong granted the lands west of the Hetao region to the tribe of Arabtjur for settlement, establishing the Ejin Torghut Banner. Together with the Alxa Ööld Banner, they formed the Xitao Mongols, also known as the Two Banners of Taoxi.

During the mainland period of the Republic of China, the area was incorporated into Ningxia Province, establishing the Alxa Khoshut Special Banner and the Ejin Old Torghut Special Banner, directly under the Executive Yuan.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the administered areas were successively under the jurisdiction of Ningxia, Gansu Province, and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. On May 30, 1979, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council decided to restore the administrative divisions of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as they were before July 1969. Ejin Banner and Alxa Right Banner, which were under Gansu Province's jurisdiction, and Alxa Left Banner, which was under the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region's jurisdiction, were re-incorporated into the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region effective July 1, 1979. In November of the same year, the State Council approved the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region's report on establishing the Alxa League. Currently, there is an administrative jurisdiction dispute between Ejin Banner and Jinta County of Jiujuan City, Gansu Province, related to land resources, which has previously led to incidents such as the destruction of an Ejin Banner checkpoint.

4. Geography

Alxa League is located in the westernmost part of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, at the intersection of the Hohhot-Baotou-Yinchuan-Yulin Economic Zone and the Longhai-Lanxin Economic Belt. It is connected to the cities of Wuhai, Bayannur, and Ordos to the east and northeast, borders the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to the south and southeast, and adjoins Gansu Province to the west and southwest. Its total area is approximately 270,000 square kilometers, accounting for 22.8% of the total area of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Bayanhot is 1,131 kilometers east of Beijing and 723 kilometers east of Hohhot. It is 114 kilometers southeast to Yinchuan City and 817 kilometers southeast to Xi'an City. To the southwest, it is 520 kilometers to Lanzhou City.

Alxa League belongs to an inland high-plateau region, with terrain higher in the south and lower in the north, featuring intermingled deserts and Gobi, connected surrounding hills, and encircled by mountain ranges. The league's mountainous area covers 34,400 square kilometers, hilly area 13,600 square kilometers, Gobi area 91,000 square kilometers, and desert area 88,400 square kilometers. The highest point is the main peak of the Helan Mountains, Dalanghaorao, at 3,556 meters, which is the highest peak in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region; the lowest point is the Yingen Basin at an elevation of 740 meters. The Helan Mountains are located in the eastern part of the league, stretching 250 kilometers in total length. They mark the western boundary of China's monsoon influence, the watershed between internal and external drainage basins, and the demarcation line for 200 millimeters of precipitation. The Longshou Mountains and Heli Mountains in the south form the northern barrier of the Hexi Corridor. The Mazong Mountains in the west are distributed in ranges, rolling continuously. In the central part, the Langshan Mountains, Jumai Halunai Mountains, Hanwula Mountains, Bayanwula Mountains, and Yabrai Mountains extend from northeast to southwest, dividing the Alxa High Plateau into eastern and western sections. Within the territory lie the three major deserts: Badain Jaran, Tengger, and Ulan Buh. The Badain Jaran Desert is the second largest desert in China, renowned for its tall and steep dunes. Bilutu Peak, with an elevation of 1,611 meters and a relative height of 598 meters, is acclaimed as the "Mount Everest of the Desert" and is the highest peak in any desert worldwide.

The soils of Alxa League are influenced by topography, landforms, and bioclimatic conditions, exhibiting distinct zonal distribution characteristics. From southeast to northwest, the soil zones transition gradually from brown calcareous soils to gray desert soils and gray-brown desert soils. Non-zonal soils include aeolian sandy soils, saline soils, alkaline soils, takyr soils, calcareous skeletal soils, and coarse skeletal soils. In floodplains and low terraces, forest-shrub meadow soils and salinized fluvo-aquic soils have developed, with widespread salinization and alkalization phenomena. The river systems in Alxa League are primarily inland river systems. The Yellow River passes through the eastern part, and the Heihe River flows into the western part. The Yellow River enters Alxa League from Mahuang Gully in Shizuishan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and exits at Ershililiuzi in Dengkou County along the southeastern border, covering 85 kilometers within the league with a basin area of 3,988 square kilometers and an average annual runoff of 31.5 billion cubic meters. The Heihe River is China's second largest inland river, originating in the Qilian Mountains, flowing through Qinghai Province, Gansu Province, and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and terminating at Juyan Lake. Its main stream is 928 kilometers long, with the section below Zhengyi Gorge being the lower reaches. It flows through Dingxin Town in Jiuquan City, Gansu Province, and finally empties into East Juyan Lake in Ejin Banner, Alxa League. Within Alxa League, the river course is 314 kilometers long with a basin area of 70,000 square kilometers. Mountain streams and springs in Alxa League mainly originate from mountainous areas such as the Helan Mountains, Yabrai Mountains, and Longshou Mountains, totaling over 70 locations with a basin area of 2,676 square kilometers. The total annual clear water volume is 9.05 million cubic meters, and the average annual flood volume is approximately 50 million cubic meters. Alxa League has numerous lakes, primarily lake basins within the three major deserts. Desert lake basins are formed by receiving precipitation recharge and are relatively stable. There are 415 lake basins within the three major deserts, with a total area of 6,700 square kilometers, including 4,546 square kilometers of grassland lakes and 231 square kilometers of water-collecting lakes.

Alxa League is situated in the hinterland of the Asian continent, as an inland plateau far from the ocean, belonging to a typical continental climate. The seasonal climate characteristics are distinct, with large diurnal temperature variations. Precipitation decreases from southeast to northwest, while evaporation increases from southeast to northwest. The annual average temperature ranges from 7.7°C to 9.8°C, with an extreme minimum temperature of -34.4°C (Bayan Nori Gung, January 24, 2008) and an extreme maximum temperature of 44.8°C (Guaizihu, July 24, 1988). The average temperature in January ranges from -7.7°C to -10.7°C, and in July from 23.5°C to 28.1°C. Annual precipitation ranges from 32.8 mm to 208.1 mm. Annual evaporation ranges from 1,555.7 mm to 2,808.5 mm. The annual frost-free period lasts 143 to 174 days. Annual sunshine hours range from 2,977 to 3,369 hours. The annual average wind speed ranges from 2.8 to 4.7 meters per second. Prevailing winds in northern Alxa League are westerly, while southeastern winds are more common in the south.

5. Administrative Divisions

Alxa League currently administers three banners: Alxa Left Banner, Alxa Right Banner, and Ejin Banner.

Additionally, Alxa League has established the following economic functional zones: Alxa High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, and Tengger Economic and Technological Development Zone (which operates with the same staff under two names alongside the Lijingtan Ecological Migration Demonstration Area).

6. Economy

In 2011, the total regional GDP of the entire league reached 39.263 billion yuan (6.079 billion USD), an increase of 19.5%; per capita GDP amounted to 168,094 yuan (26,026 USD), growing by 17.6%; among prefecture-level administrative divisions (including municipalities directly under the central government), the Alxa League ranked second in terms of per capita GDP. The general public budget revenue of the local government was 2.963 billion yuan.

7. Transportation

The transportation conditions in Alxa League were affected by snowfall and ice during December 2024, leading to temporary traffic controls on some road sections. Specifically:

7.1 Snowfall and Traffic Control

Parts of Alxa League experienced snowfall on December 10. Due to snow accumulation and icy roads, temporary traffic controls were implemented on multiple routes. For example, the G307 line in the Barun Beli jurisdiction of Alxa Left Banner was placed under temporary two-way traffic control as snow and ice made passage impossible. Additionally, traffic control was enforced on the X782 line in the Altanchog Sum jurisdiction of Alxa Right Banner due to snow accumulation.

7.2 Road Condition Updates

As of December 4, light snow in the Yingen Sum jurisdiction of Alxa Left Banner led to temporary two-way traffic controls on sections of the S227 and S311 lines. By December 10, one-way traffic control was also implemented on the S228 line between Chagan Tongge and Haisenchulu in Alxa Right Banner due to snow accumulation.

7.3 Winter Traffic Safety Tips

During the winter, Alxa League traffic police issued multiple traffic safety reminders, emphasizing slippery road conditions in snowy weather, prohibiting speeding, forced overtaking, and risky passing, and advising drivers to slow down and proceed with caution.

7.4 Highway Construction and Maintenance

Despite severe weather, the Alxa League Transportation Development Center actively carried out highway maintenance to ensure road accessibility. For instance, maintenance work was conducted on sections of the S228 line.

7.5 Tourist Travel Convenience

Alxa League's transportation infrastructure is relatively well-developed, including expressways, national highways, and provincial roads, providing convenience for self-driving tours. However, caution is still required on some sections due to snow accumulation or ice.

During winter, especially in December, Alxa League is significantly impacted by snowfall and ice, with traffic controls enforced on some roads. Drivers should stay informed about road conditions, reduce speed, and travel safely.

8. Education

The education situation in Alxa League has achieved significant progress in recent years, mainly reflected in the following aspects:

8.1 Educational Infrastructure Development

Alxa League has invested substantial funds in educational infrastructure to improve school hardware facilities. For example, in 2024, the Regional Development and Reform Commission allocated 42 million yuan in subsidy funds for projects such as the construction of the high school teaching building of Alxa Right Banner No.1 Middle School and the sports ground of Alxa Left Banner No.9 Middle School. Additionally, 7.2 million yuan from the central budget was invested to support the construction of teaching and laboratory buildings at Alxa Left Banner No.1 Middle School. The implementation of these projects has significantly enhanced school conditions and teaching capacity.

8.2 Group-based Schooling Model

Alxa League actively promotes the group-based schooling model by collaborating with regions such as Saihan District in Hohhot to share high-quality educational resources and promote balanced educational development. For instance, five primary schools and six middle schools in Alxa Left Banner have formed educational communities with schools in Saihan District, sharing resources and complementing each other's strengths.

8.3 National Common Language and Script Education

Alxa League places great emphasis on national common language and script education, achieving full coverage of standardized compliance in schools at all levels and types. Through teacher training and measures to improve Mandarin proficiency, the certification rate for Mandarin among teachers in the league has reached 94.6%, with 98.9% of full-time teachers holding a Level 2B Mandarin certificate.

8.4 Vocational Education Development

Secondary vocational education in Alxa League plays a crucial role in serving local economic and social development. As of the end of October 2023, the league had three vocational institutions with 1,351 enrolled students. By deepening the integration of industry and education and enhancing school-enterprise cooperation, the quality of vocational education continues to improve.

8.5 Educational Equity and Support Policies

Alxa League fully implements policies benefiting the people, helping students from economically disadvantaged families complete their studies through measures such as credit-based student loans from their place of origin. Additionally, the Alxa League Education Supervision and Student Assistance Center is dedicated to providing precise support to students from economically disadvantaged families, ensuring that no student drops out due to financial difficulties.

8.6 Improvement of Education Quality

Alxa League employs various measures to enhance the quality of education and teaching. For example, the Inner Mongolia Normal University Affiliated Alxa Middle School has achieved significant improvements in education and teaching quality, driving overall improvements across the league. At the same time, Alxa League emphasizes teacher training and innovation in teaching management to promote the overall enhancement of education and teaching quality.

Alxa League has achieved remarkable results in educational infrastructure development, group-based schooling, national common language and script education, vocational education development, educational equity and support policies, and the improvement of education quality, laying a solid foundation for promoting the high-quality development of education across the league.

9. Population

At the end of 2022, the permanent resident population of the entire league was 269,000, an increase of 3,600 from the end of the previous year. The urbanization rate of the permanent resident population reached 82.72%, an increase of 0.09 percentage points from the previous year. The annual birth rate was 6.32‰; the death rate was 6.45‰; and the natural population growth rate was -0.13‰.

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the permanent resident population of the entire league was 262,361. Compared with the 231,334 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was an increase of 31,027 people over the ten years, a growth of 13.41%, with an average annual growth rate of 1.27%. Among them, the male population was 139,509, accounting for 53.17% of the total population; the female population was 122,852, accounting for 46.83% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 113.56. The population aged 0–14 was 36,835, accounting for 14.04% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 187,824, accounting for 71.59% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 37,702, accounting for 14.37% of the total population; among them, the population aged 65 and above was 25,789, accounting for 9.83% of the total population. The urban population was 215,188, accounting for 82.02% of the total population; the rural population was 47,173, accounting for 17.98% of the total population.

9.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the permanent resident population, the Han Chinese population was 197,204, accounting for 75.17%; the Mongolian population was 50,104, accounting for 19.10%; and the population of other ethnic minorities was 15,053, accounting for 5.74%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han Chinese population increased by 24,738, a growth of 14.34%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.61 percentage points; the population of all ethnic minorities increased by 6,289, a growth of 10.68%, with their proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.61 percentage points. Among them, the Mongolian population increased by 5,469, a growth of 12.25%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.2 percentage points; the Hui population decreased by 188, a decline of 1.5%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 0.71 percentage points.

Among the Mongolian population, there are several thousand Mongolian Muslims, a rare group within the Mongolian ethnicity that practices Islam. They are a branch of the Mongolian people that has existed since the Qing Dynasty. The Alxa Mongolian population mainly belongs to the Khoshut Oirat people, although they refer to themselves as "Oirat," most of them are not from the Dzungar Oirat tribe.

| Ethnic Group | Han Chinese | Mongolian | Hui | Manchu | Tibetan | Tujia | Dongxiang | Miao | Daur | Kazakh | Other Ethnic Groups | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Population | 197,204 | 50,104 | 12,359 | 1,069 | 378 | 200 | 134 | 116 | 108 | 100 | 589 | | Percentage of Total Population (%) | 75.17 | 19.10 | 4.71 | 0.41 | 0.14 | 0.08 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.22 | | Percentage of Ethnic Minority Population (%) | — | 76.90 | 18.97 | 1.64 | 0.58 | 0.31 | 0.21 | 0.18 | 0.17 | 0.15 | 0.90 |

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10. Culture

The cultural development of Alxa League can be outlined from multiple aspects, including public cultural services, cultural heritage protection, cultural industry development, and ethnic unity.

10.1 Alxa League has achieved remarkable results in enhancing public cultural services.

By establishing a library alliance and collaborating with the Capital Library, it has realized the sharing of book resources and the interconnection of digital resources, providing the public with diverse and high-quality cultural services. Furthermore, Alxa League has cultivated the "Good Reading" brand for nationwide reading promotion, organizing online and offline reading promotion activities centered around traditional festivals and commemorative days, benefiting a large number of people. In rural and pastoral areas, Alxa League has dispatched cultural teams such as the Ulan Muqir to the grassroots level to conduct public welfare performances and cultural activities, ensuring that high-quality cultural resources directly reach the communities.

10.2 Alxa League has also made significant efforts in cultural heritage protection.

Relying on the Fourth National Cultural Relics Census, Alxa League has carried out archaeological survey projects such as the Juyan Site and the "Ten-Thousand-Mile Tea Road," and promoted the inclusion of projects like the Alxa Felt-Making Technique into the autonomous region's traditional craft revitalization catalog. Additionally, through hosting various cultural activities and exhibitions, Alxa League has inherited and promoted the excellent traditional Chinese culture, driving its creative transformation and innovative development.

10.3 In terms of the cultural industry, Alxa League actively promotes the integrated development of culture and tourism.

By formulating policies such as the "Alxa League's 14th Five-Year Plan for Cultural Development," it has improved the cultural and tourism industry system and facilitated the deep integration of culture and tourism. Leveraging its rich natural landscapes and historical-cultural resources, Alxa League has created multiple cultural tourism brands, attracting a large number of tourists.

10.4 Alxa League places emphasis on ethnic unity and cultural diversity.

With the main focus on forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, the region promotes exchanges, interactions, and integration among different ethnic groups by organizing various ethnic unity activities and cultural exhibitions. For example, during the Dragon Boat Festival, Alxa League launched a variety of mass cultural activities to enhance the people's identification with Chinese culture.

The cultural development of Alxa League demonstrates a positive trend of diversified public cultural services, systematic cultural heritage protection, high-quality development of the cultural industry, and progress in ethnic unity. These measures not only enrich the spiritual and cultural lives of local residents but also provide strong cultural support for promoting regional economic and social development.

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Mongolian means "the land of five colors."

Alxa Left Banner Bayanhot Town

Alxa Left Banner

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