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The Xilin Gol Grassland in the morning.
by Chang Guojun
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In discussions with US President Jimmy Carter in June 1987, the chief architect of China's reform and opening, Deng Xiaoping, explained,"There are vast pasturelands and a sparse population, and the region will probably lead the country's future economic development.”
Deng spoke of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China's northeast. Spanning more than 2,400 kilometers from east to west, the region borders Russia and the Republic of Mongolia along its north boundary of 4,200 kilometers. On May 1 this year, Inner Mongolia marked 60 years as an autonomous region.
An Autonomous Region Formed Before the PRC
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A Mongolian child. by Chang Guojun
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In November 1945, after China was victorious in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Communist Party of China (CPC) founded the Inner Mongolia Federation of Autonomy Movement to meet the demands of Mongolian people, putting an end to the separation of east and west Mongolia that had lasted for centuries. From April 23 to May 3, 1947, representatives from varying ethnic groups inhabiting Inner Mongolia gathered in Wangyemiao (today's Hohhot) to hold a congress. The congress passed the Administrative Guidelines of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and elected the chairman and other officials. The government of the autonomous region was then officially founded, becoming the first ethnic autonomous region under the leadership of the CPC. About two years later, on October 1, 1949, the People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded, and Inner Mongolia thus became an integral part of the PRC infrastructure.
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A mural depicting Italian explorer Marco Polo meeting Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty. by Luo Xianyong
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A Vast Grassland Culture
In 1275, Italian explorer Marco Polo (1254-1324) arrived in China. The record of his journeys introduced the ancient and splendid Chinese civilization to Europeans for the first time and stimulated European interest in the Eastern land. The ancestors of today's Mongolians ruled China when Marco Polo arrived on these shores.
Mongolians refer to themselves as"Mon-gol,"meaning"eternal flame."The Mongolian term was first translated into the Han language during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). In the beginning, Mon-gol was one of many Mongolian tribes. Around the 7th Century A.D., the Mon-gol people migrated westward from the ErgunRiver basin to the Mongolian Grassland. In the spring of 1206, Genghis Khan, the chieftain of the Mon-gol tribe, conquered the remaining Mongolian tribes and finally united the entire Mongolia region. Mongol thus became the general name of all Mongolian tribes.
An ancient nomadic tribe of northern China, the Mongols are known as the"People on Horseback."They mainly rely on animal husbandry for their livelihood and subsistence, while also farming. Throughout their long history, the ethnic group has collectively authored many literary works on history, literature, medicine, astronomy and geography. Notable among these works, The Secret History of Mongolia is known as China's oldest historical and literary book written in the Mongolian language, as well as being a part of the global human cultural heritage. The most famous Mongolian oral epic, Djangar, reveals the history and society of the Mongolian tribes during wartime, and it has been cited as one of the three most famous epics of China.
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The Hobq Desert, Inner Mongolia. by Chang Guojun
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Reputed as passionate and skilled musicians, Mongolians are typically expert singers and dancers. There are two major forms of Mongolian folk songs: Urtiin duu (long song) and Bogino duu (short song). The former features long tone and scant lyrics and is popular in nomadic areas, and the latter features regular rhythms and is popular in semi-agricultural and semi-nomadic areas. Mongolian dances feature quick rhythms and powerful movements and display the passionate nature of local people. Perhaps due to their love of horses, Mongolians have a special fondness of matouqin, or Morinhuur. Matouqin is Mongolia's most typical stringed instrument and is capped with a carving in the shape of a horse head. Hence the name.
Some scholars regard the Grassland Culture developed and inherited by Mongolians, as well as the Changjiang (Yangtze) River Culture and the Huanghe (Yellow) River Culture, as an integral part of the Chinese civilization. Inner Mongolia is one of the birthplaces of ancient Chinese civilization. As early as the Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages, the region witnessed human activity. The ancient people created various forms of civilizations, including the Hetao Culture (represented by the Paleolithic ruins discovered by the Sala Usu River in Uxin Banner of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region), the Dayao Culture (represented by the Paleolithic ruins that date back 500,000 years, discovered in Dayao Village in Baoheshao Town in the northeast of Hohhot of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region), the Hongshan Culture (a major Neolithic civilization founded in northern China), and the Xiajiadian Culture (an ancient civilization of the Bronze Age founded in northern China).
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The landmark structure of Hohhot, known as the Dairy Capital of China. CFP
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The Fastest-Growing Economy in Four Successive Years
Within the four years since 2002, the Inner Mongolia topped China's provinces and other autonomous regions in GDP growth rate. Owing to the tireless efforts of local people, what Deng Xiaoping predicted 20 years ago has come true.
Beginning with the implementation of the"Development of West China"strategy, Inner Mongolia has maintained a rapid economic growth. From 2000 through 2005, it maintained an annual GDP growth rate of 10 to 20 percent, a figure higher than any other province or autonomous region in the nation. In 2005, per capita GDP reached $2,024, a figure higher than the national average, ranking Inner Mongolia first in western China and among the top 10 in the nation.
The rapid economic growth of the Inner Mongolia has drawn the attention of economists and relevant governmental departments. The region's economic miracle is referred to as the"Inner Mongolia Phenomenon."
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Mongolian women. by Chang Guojun
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Yang Jing, chairman of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, said the positive phenomenon is due to policies which give full play to local resources, while introducing added capital from domestic and foreign sources, accelerating coal exploration and power generation and bolstering and expanding the processing of livestock products.
The city of Hohhot, known as the Dairy Capital of China, is an epitome of the"Inner Mongolia Phenomenon."The capital of the autonomous region, since the beginning of 2000 Hohhot has implemented the policy known as"Prospering the City with the Dairy Industry."Relying on its vast pasturelands, favorable location and natural environment, the city witnessed rapid development of its dairy industry in recent years. It tops all other capital cities and municipalities both in terms of the reserve of cows and in output of fresh milk.
The city is also home to the Yili Group and Mengniu Group, two of the largest dairy enterprises in China. The two enterprises supply 40 percent of total liquid milk sold in China. Benefiting from the rapid development of the two industrial giants, Hohhot is maturing into a bright pearl on the green grassland.
