Bayankhot

Bayankhot lies between the Helan Mountains to the east and the Tengger Desert to the west. Its Mongolian name means “rich town”, but it was originally established in 1730 as Dingyuanying. The settlement became a centre of the Alashan Mongols, with Buddhist monasteries among its notable buildings. Its location on the edge of the desert connected it with Yinchuan and the cultivated lands beyond the mountains.