out of Steppe

1、out of SteppeRuralrealitiesdontalwaysmatchthemythicMongoliaofpopularimagination這個(gè)草原有點(diǎn)兒不一樣Forthoseinneedofadetoxfromthemadnessofurbanlife，thegrasslandsofInnerMongoliahavelongbeentheplacetogo.Toinhabitantsofincreasinglycongestedcities，wide-opengreenpasturesarepicturesquesanctuaries.Whetherbreakingfree

2、fromprofessionalpressures，orlettinggooftheinanityofthenewestRapofChina controversy，generationsoftravelerssaddlethewordcaoyuan 草原，“grasslandwithliterallypastorallongingstoescapefromtheshacklesofroutine.Thelocalshavealwaysknownbetter.AstheMongoladagegoes，“Thegrasslandswillalwaysbethesourceof

3、lifeandtherootofcreation.Thisgainsadarker，butnolessimpressive，layerofsignificancewhenoneremembersthatthe caoyuan gavebirthto12th-centuryconquerorGenghisKhanandhisarmyofnigh-invinciblenomadicwarriors.TheKhansgargantuanempire，stretchingfromtheKoreanPeninsulatoHungaryatitsapex，broughtdowntheS

4、ongdynasty9601279.Themoralofthestory？Thegrasslandsarenotonlybeautiful，butcapableofbringingwholecivilizationstoheel.Themodernentertainmentindustrybearsmuchresponsibilityforthisideaofananimus-driven caoyuan.InGenghisKhan 1997，aChinese-languagefilmproducedbytheInnerMongoliaFilmStudio，children

5、practicearcherybyusingadecapitatedoxheadastarget.WolfTotem 2020，aSino-Frenchadaptationofabest-sellingnovelbyJiangRong，tellsthestoryofhowaBeijinguniversitystudent，senttoInnerMongoliaduringtheCulturalRevolution，becomesenrapturedbythesteppeswolves，eventuallytryingtodomesticateacub.Meanwhile， 

6、caoyuange，or“grasslandsong，remainsapopularsub-genreofChinesefolkmusic，withsinglessuchasJiYas“GrasslandsFatefulLovefeaturingmaleyodeling，excessivelyromanticlyrics“l(fā)etusturnintoswansflyingtothehorizon，chaseourloveunderthebluesky，andamusicvideowithyoungloversholdinghandsastheygalloptheirsteeds.WhenIboa

7、rdedanovernightnine-hourtrainoneThursdaynightfromBeijingtheresnohigh-speedrailyettoHohhot，InnerMongoliascapitalitwaswithvisionsofsharingbowlsofsaltyteawithhospitablehorse-herders.Inmydreamofa caoyuan-inducedcatharsis，theywereeagertosharetheirskillsandteachushowtoride.AheartyeveningFridaymealata

8、nexcellentHohhotrestaurant，runbyethnicMongolians，markedapromisingstarttothelongweekend.Inretrospect，withalittlemoreresearch，itwouldhavebeenobviousthatInnerMongoliahadmoretoofferthan“holidayvillagesoutsideHohhot.Forone，theidealtimetoheadoverisnotSeptember，butduringmid-July，whenthree-daynaadamfestival

9、sareheldthroughouttheregion.Shortforeriingurvannaadam，or“thethreegamesofmen，thenaadamisfulloftournamentsinarchery，wrestling，andhorsebackriding.AcrosstheborderinthecountryofMongolia，thenaadamisnotonlythemostwidelywatcheddisplayofstrength，butalsocommemoratesthenationsindependencefromtheRepublicofChina

10、in1921.Goingtothegamesisessentialforexperiencingthelocalculture.ThesameappliestovisitingtheMausoleumofGenghisKhan，locatednearOrdosandpreviouslyguardedbyaMongoliantribe，theDarkhads，foroverhalfamillennium.Eventoday，around30Darkhadsareofficiallyemployedbythemausoleumtowatchoverthesitesrelics，keepworshi

11、pcandleslit，andstopthetouristsfromtakingpictureswhertheyrenotsupposedto.Withoutthewisdomofhindsight，however，webeganSaturdaymorningwithtorrentialraindescendinguponHohhot.MyWeChatpingedwithamessagefromourdriver：Duetothe“addeddifficultyofdrivinginthedownpour，hisfeewasgoingtoincreasefrom200to300RMB.Myin

12、stinctwastobackout，butitwastoolate;thereturnticketswerebookedforthenextday，andthedriver，apparentlyassumingwehadacceptedhisimpromptupricehike，sooncalledtosayhewasjustminutesaway.Soweacceptedthefirstrip-offoftheweekendwithoutprotest.OurHandriverwasextremelytalkative，perhapstosugarcoattheextrafeehedsur

13、reptitiouslyextractedthoughinallfairness，theroadswereindeedpockmarkedwithpotholes，mud，andsharpstones.SoonhewasofferingalessoninbasicHohhotdialect“prettyisxiedang，andtoldusaboutthedeclineofMongolian-languageteachinginInnerMongolia.InnerMongoliascaseseemstobeidenticaltothatofChinasotherautonomousregio

14、ns：TheincreasingcompetitivenessofChinasgaokao universityentranceexaminationhasledmanyethnicMongolianhouseholdstogiveupteachingthelocallanguagealtogether.AlthoughtheverticalMongolianscriptisvisiblealloverHohhotsmainroadsacontrasttothekite-likeCyrillicusedbythecountryofMongoliaonly17percentofther

15、egions25millionpeopleareethnicallyMongolian.Inspiteofthis，accordingtoourdriver，theregionsculturalpracticesandethnicprideremainintact.OurdestinationwastheAndaHolidayVillage，whichwaspraisedbyasolitaryreviewontravelappMafengwoforits“hybridtents，cheaplocaldelicacies，andmostimportantlyhoursofridingatdisc

16、ountedprices.Althoughthereviewersrelentlesslyflatteringtonewassuspicious，thedozensofhigh-resolutionpicturesthataccompaniedthetextmadeusbelieveinthisfairytaleofthe caoyuan.Thefirstthingwediscoveredonarrivalwasthattheso-calledMongolian“yurtwasnotthetraditionalger “homeofthenomads.Inpopularim

17、agination，theger isashortcircularstructuremadeofwoodenlattice，coveredwithwaterprooffursandskins，providingadurable，comfortable，andquicklyportablehometoherdersontheCentralAsiansteppes.Bycontrast，Andasyurtswerewhitewashedconcretestructureswithdomedroofs，withapricepernightthatincreasedaccordingtoth

18、enumberofmodernamenitiesincluded.Ourshadabathroom，butnoshowerorflat-screenTV;atleast，theoverpricedigloowasarespitefromtheheavyrain.Likeourdriver，everyoneworkingattheholidayvillagewasethnicallyHan.TrappedindoorsonaSaturdaynight，therewasnothingforustodoexcepttuneintoTheRapofChina asusual.Thekeydi

19、fferencewasthat，at2，000metersabovesealevel，fooddeliveryappswereunavailable.Traditionally，thecenterofager containsastovebeneathaventilationholeintheroof，usedsimultaneouslyforheatingandcooking;additionally，familieswilloftenhanganimalcarcassesindoorsforcuring，andputbarrelsofcheeseandairag fer

20、mentedmaresmilkbesidetheentrance.Theseconcretedistortions，though，wereidealonlyforcookinginstantnoodles，whichweslurpeddownwithaseasoningofboredomandregretbeforeanearlysleep.Thirteenhourslater，wewoketoblueskies，warmsunlight，andundulatinghillsaperfectMongolianSundaymorning.Wetookalongwalkthroughthegras

21、slands，lyingdowneverysooftentoenjoythecoolbladesofgrass.Atonepointweeventookturnsshoutinggibberishatthetopofourlungs;wehadtoomuchspacetoourselves.Soon，though，ourbelliesrumbled，indicatingthatitwastimeforlunch.Hopingtobalanceourstarchydietofthepreviousnight，wewalkedtowardsafewrealyurts，wheramanwasgril

22、lingsomemeat.The caoyuan hasavisibleinfluenceonInnerMongoliasgastronomy.Cattlefedonthelargeswathsoflusciousgreengrassinthesummerproducemeatanddairyofahigherstandardthanlivestockraisedonprocessedfeed.Touristswhoareunaccustomedtothelocaldietaryhabitsmayfeeloverwhelmedbythem;towithstandharshw

23、intersonthesteppe，Mongoliannomadsoftenconsumewholelegsofroastedlambandenormousslabsofboiledmutton，alongwithmugsofrichmilktea.ThisclimatehasalsoleftMongoliancuisinebereftofvegetable-baseddishes，tosaynothingofvegetarianfare.Themanrunningthemakeshiftrestaurantlistenedtoourorderofaportionofmuttonandvege

24、tables.Sizingusup，longandhard，hecameupwiththeastronomicalfigureof300RMB.Welaughedindisbeliefandtoldhimwewouldtrythecanteenclosertoourvillage.Herespondedthattheywouldchargeusdoubleforthesamethingtheircookwashismotherscousin.Incredulous，butawareofhowfarwehadstrayedfromourlodgings，weacceptedtheoffer;li

25、keourdriver，ourcookhadasmoothtongue，settlingusinatentandexplainingthatthelegmeatonourtraywasonlyhalf-doneasthiswashowus“southernerslikedit.MovedasIwasbyhisconcern，mymainanguishwasdirectedattheplateofsugar-toppedtomato50RMBthataccompaniedit.Inthemiddleofourmeal，thecookswifeburstintoexclaimhowhappyshe

26、wastoseetwo waidiren “non-localsandpresentuswithagiganticflaskoftea，disappearingbeforewehadachancetoaskifitwasonthehouse.Predictably，itwasnt，andoffwentanother100RMBfromourbankaccountstothishospitablecouple.Bothlaterclaimedtheywouldnthavechargedanythinghadwehadsimplyreturnedtheflaskunopened

27、.Alreadyinlowspirits，andwithonlyafewhoursleftuntilthetrainbacktoBeijing，wewerereadytoleave，untilourdriverexclaimedthatleavingthe caoyuan withoutridingitshorseswouldbeasacrilege.Noticingourskepticism，heclaimedhewouldwrangleabargain-basementpricefora10-minuteride：150RMBfortwopeople.Aquicksea

28、rchonMafengwoprovedthatthisofferwas，indeed，100RMBlowerthanwhatmosttouristswerecharged.Underthelogicthatwewouldnevercomebacktothis caoyuan anyway，weacceptedandmadeourwaytothestables，whertwopint-sizedsteedsandtheirhostlerwerereadyonarrival.Onthebackofthisgentlebeast，Ifoundsomesmallsatisfacti

29、oninimaginingmyselfpartofGenghisKhansroyalguard，surveyingthebattlefieldaswedebatedwhethertoquarterormercifullydecapitateourenemies.Thisfantasywascutshortmerely100meterslater，whenthehandlersuddenlystopped.“Thisisasfaras150RMBgetsyou，hegrunted.Isnappedoutofmydaydreamanddismounted，readytoforgetIhadever

30、heardofthis caoyuan.Mygirlfriendrefused，though，protestingthatthiswasnotwhathadbeenagreedupon.“Unlessyouwanttotakethehorseforarun，heresponded，awidegrinonhisface.Takingourstunnedsilenceasa“yes，hesuddenlyhoppedonthehorseIhaddismounted，shouted“Holdon！andtookbothbeastsfora30-secondgallopthroughoutwh

31、ichmygirlfriendwasscreaminginfearandfinishingbackatthestables，wheritwastimetopayup.Wesentovertheagreed150RMB，atwhichpointthehostler，stillgrinning，said：“Itsanother150forthegallop.Scoffingathisdemands，wemadefortheyurts，onlytobemetbyarowofcross-armedhostlersblockingthewaythiswasclearlyawell-rehearsedsc

32、am.Acknowledgingdefeat，Iturnedbackandsentthemananother150RMBwithsomesarcasticapplause.OnthewaybacktoHohhot，thetaxidriverdidhisbesttoappearoblivious，claimingthatallthehostlersweregreedypeasantsandimpossibletotrust.Fakingconcern，heevenofferedtotakeustoarestaurantthathisfriendhadopened，aplacewheronecou

33、ldeata“properdinnerfora“decentprice.Unwillingtoriskanymoremoney，westernlyturneddownhisofferandstruckoutforaKFC.Overourreliablypricedifboringmeal，practicallypenniless，Ireflectedthatperhapswehadbeenledastraybytheillusionthatsimplybeingonthegrasslandwasenough.InInnerMongolia，thenostalgic caoyuan&#

34、160;isincreasinglyhardtofind.AsChinassecond-largestcoal-producingregion，InnerMongoliaisalsothemainglobalsupplierofrare-earthmetals，aswellasthesiteoflargenaturalgasreserves.Unregulatedminingandindustryhavedevastatedthenaturallandscapeandpoisonedthelivestock.Additionally，resettlementprograms，oftenjustifiedasprotectionofthegrasslandsfromover-grazing，haveforcedmostethnicMongoliannomadstogiveuptheirflocksformeagercompensation.Thesedays，experiencedtravelerssay，itsonlybyhiringatrustworthyethnicMongolianguidethatonecangetluckyenoughtofindan“authenticho