A new cross-border tourism channel opens between China and Mongolia

By Liu Yufen (chinadaily.com.cn)

Updated: 2014-09-28

The launch ceremony of Arxan - Songbeir Port cross-border tourism was held in Arxan city, Hinggan League in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region on September 23.

According to Meng Tieniu, director-general of the Hinggan League tourism bureau, Arxan boasts abundant tourism resources, such as forests and grasslands. It has got Asia’s largest cluster of functional mineral springs as well as a rarely seen 'volcano museum'.

Three cross-border tourist routes, including a route linking Arxan with Halhgol county, in Dornod Aimag in Mongolia, one that linked Arxan with the city of Undurkhaan in Mongolia’s Hentiy Aimag, and the last starting from Arxan to the city of Choi-balsan in Dornod Aimag, got approval from China’s National Tourism Administration in June 2014. Moreover, the Ministry of Public Security recently approved the trans-regional application for entry and exit passes. Mongolia also agreed to support cross-border tourism with the approval of the foreign affairs office in Hinggan League, which marked the official launch of cross-border tourism between China and Mongolia,’explained Meng.

According to Cui Jingying, deputy head of the administrative office of Hinggan League, the opening of Arxan -Songbeir Port cross-border tourism is a celebration of the 65th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mongolia. Taking the opening of Arxan -Songbeir Port as an opportunity, Hinggan League plans to develop both tourism and logistics at different stages. It’s committed to building a China-Russia-Mongolia Tourism Economic Cooperation Zone, developing an import and export processing industry and international logistics industry, pushing foward railway construction, and the establishment of railway ports and airports.

Cui went on to say that the goal of the Hinggan League is to further improve connectivity, for win-win cooperation, to strengthen friendship between the people of the two countries, boost the economies of the two countries and their common prosperity.

Edited by Brian Salter