One final blog on Baotou, city of Deer;

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Remember the news reports on rare earth exports from China at the end of 2010? Most of this rare earth is from the city of Baotou, Inner Mongolia province. (or in fact, from the huge Bayan Obo mine north of the city. Famed for its natural resources and minerals, the city of Baotou was built by the Russians first, later by the Chinese. It is one of China's great industrial cities, mainly thanks to iron ore and coal.
To the south lies Ordos, the 6th richest city in China. The people from this small city have suddenly turned rich, sold out by the government for the land rich with coal. Another big income is the Kashmir trade.

Baotou is divided in 3 large districts and a few smaller ones. From west to east lies; Kunqu, with the kundulun river flowing out of the reservoir in the mountains where the 'ski resort' is located as well, the central district of Qingshan, where most universities and government offices are, and the poorer Donghe district, also home to the small airport.

Temperatures in this city differ hugely from summer to winter. At its coldest, when the wind is coming across the Mongolian plains right from Siberia, temperatures can get as low as -30, while the short summer, lasting from about June to August experiences 35-40 degrees Celsius! It might be an explanation for the fact why some roads seem badly maintained and huge cracks or holes are left unfixed...

In Sahantala park, to the east of Qingshan, one can see deer roaming 'wild'. This herd is left to graze free in the fields of the park, with the huge Qingshanqu Renmin Government building on the other side of Jianshe Rd.
Another good park, one of many, is the Ba Yi park in kunqu district. Ba Yi, meaning 81, is named after the 1st of October national Day, and therefore also known as People's Park. During summer time these parks are good to watch regular Chinese daily life from the sideline; young gays who have no other place to meet, retired doing some kind of exercise that involves banging your back against a tree for an hour whilst chatting, youngsters playing pool and on Sunday mornings an English corner like anywhere else in China.

Traffic, as usual, is crazy in Baotou. It's all first-come first-serve basis. Unless you drive a loud-horned, shiny black car. Then you work for the government which makes you more important than all the other 'peasants' and everybody will let you (invisible as you are behind the shaded windows) go first. It's a mixture of donkey carts, SUV's, motor cycles, cars, electric bikes, smelly & loud buses, pedestrians and the occasional foreigner on a bike that make it all interesting. (or dangerous, whichever way you look at it...) Whenever I'm in a taxi (read: all winter, lasting from October to April) I like to show off to the driver; I have acquired a a fair bit of Chinese foul language in the 2 years I've lived there, and the taxi drivers seem to love it when I practice these insults on idiots who jam the road by thinking they are more important than others... Works miracles for my mood too, when I have a driver slap my on my shoulder and tells me

'Ni de jong wen fei chang hao!

Food; well, I am planning to write a separate blog on food in China, but just in short: It can be good, it can be horrible. LOVE the Mongolian hot pots, Chinese barbecue, Sichuan etc. etc. Don't like the chicken feet, pigs noses or pork legs. One of my most visited eateries in baotou I have to admit though, was Dico's (De Ke Shi), a Chinese fast food restaurant ala KFC. Ate there at least once a week... Bad!!!

Sights: Definitely don't miss the desert south of Baotou, towards Ordos city. The tomb of Genghis Khan, although I haven't been there, I wouldn't recommend. (so I've heard). If you're from a very green country with lots of lush farmland (say: England or Holland) you might be disappointed by the 'Mongolian grasslands' north of Baotou and Hohhot. If not, or you just have the urge to sleep in a concrete yurt and drink Bai Jiu, don't miss these either!

Well, that's it really...

míng tiān jiàn! 明天见

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Photos

Old man resting..
These building are the so-called 'pre-Mao' apartments, build by the Russians so I've heard

Statue in Donghe...
...never did find out who the fellah on the horse is.

Dry Inner Mongolia, at Kundulun Reservoir.
North of Kunqu, Baotou.

Baotou Deer Statue
At the eastern end of Gangtie Dajie

Baotou restaurant.
Lifting Vegetables on the roof for drying...

The residential area I lived
On a beautiful summer's day

(sand) Storm brewing...
Looking out over the crossing of Gangtie and Linyin Roads

Massive bumble bee
At the Kundulun riverside park

Comments

[Carlito Esparagosa]

My second hometown
I really missed this place Qingshan District Baotou City Inner Mongolia China. I just hope I can return there again.