Name: Ordos

Chinese name: 鄂尔多斯市

Province: Inner Mongolia

Status: Prefecture-level city

Population: 1,280,000 inhabitants

Area: 87,428 km²

Ordos is a city in Inner Mongolia. Located in the Dongshen district north of Baotou, Ordos is also a new city that was built with the ambition of becoming THE modern city of Inner Mongolia, similar to Hong Kong.

The city of Ordos is unique and will leave you with a strange impression of an abandoned metropolis. Simply for its singularity, it deserves a visit before you set off on the trail of Genghis Khan and his Mausoleum.

History

Ordos was originally (centuries before Christ) an ancient outpost used as a control point for access to the pastures of Turco-Mongol nomadic peoples. The city was later recolonized by the Chinese in 127 AD.

Its name comes from the Ordos clan, which was tasked at the time with protecting the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol empire.

The new city of Ordos

With support from the government and major Chinese investors, an entirely new city bearing the same name was constructed a few kilometers from the old settlement. This new city, erected in the 2000s, is now considered one of the world's largest ghost cities due to its sparse population.

In 2009, many neighborhoods and buildings were still under construction or abandoned due to lack of investment. Population estimates were revised downward, with 300,000 people expected by 2020 instead of one million.

Measures were taken to reverse the trend. Workers' salaries reportedly became slightly higher than the national average, and schools and universities began attracting increasing numbers of young people, though property prices continued to climb. By 2015, the city counted approximately 100,000 inhabitants.

Today

A visit to the city of Ordos in the heart of a desert environment will quickly become an experience unto itself, strikingly different from what you'll encounter on your travels through Inner Mongolia. This new, modern city didn't earn the nickname "ghost city" without reason.

Its gleaming high-rises, broad avenues, parks and public squares stand almost entirely empty, plunging the city into an eerie atmosphere reminiscent of Hollywood film sets like The Walking Dead or I Am Legend. Property prices are prohibitively high, so the local population prefers to settle in the old city.

Shopping malls sprawling across multiple levels mirror the city itself—brand new and deserted. Shops stockpile counterfeit goods beneath layers of dust, and shopkeepers wait patiently for customers. A tour of the city quickly becomes surreal, making it an extraordinary attraction.

Despite modernization efforts and aspirations to create a "mini Hong Kong," Ordos remains committed to environmental responsibilities. To this end, the city has reportedly planted thousands of shrubs to combat desertification.

"See the article on desertification"

The city has also invested in solar panels and low-energy lighting. Most of the city's buses and taxis run on natural gas and electricity, significantly reducing tailpipe emissions.

The city of Ordos serves as an ideal starting point for reaching the Genghis Khan Mausoleum, an impressive structure and sacred site for all Mongols, standing alone in the vast landscape.

From there, it's also possible to visit the Kubuqi Desert, located between Baotou and Ordos. The Kubuqi Desert attracts visitors with its singing sand dunes and various activities available on-site.

Ordos is also home to the Museum of Mongol Culture as well as a large library.

Climate

As in Baotou, Ordos's climate is shaped by its arid environment. In spring, sandstorms are quite frequent, and in winter temperatures plummet sharply, with average January temperatures around -10°C.

Summer and autumn are the best times to visit Ordos and appreciate the city's distinctive character.

Airplane

Ordos Airport, located southeast of the new city, offers connections to many major Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Harbin, Kunming, Hangzhou, and Hohhot.

Train

Ordos has four railway stations on lines running between Baotou and Shanxi Province.

Long-distance buses

Buses from Hohhot and Baotou serve Ordos and its surroundings.

Bus lines allow you to navigate the city. Two of them, which run on natural gas, are free.

Taxis also run on natural gas.

The city can easily be explored by bicycle thanks to bike-sharing stations and cycling paths that crisscross the urban area.

A few horse-drawn carriages offer pleasant rides around town.

What to do in Ordos?

• Wander through the deserted streets of the Ordos ghost city.
• Visit the Genghis Khan Mausoleum.
• Venture across the sand dunes of the Kubuqi Desert.
• Explore Mongol culture at the Ordos Museum.

Discover all things to do in Ordos!