Ordos, a city in the desert, mixes tradition and luxury

Xiangshawan, or Resounding Sand Bay is China's largest desert tourism resort.[Photos Provided To China Daily]

The Mongolian food is exotic. Many people like to have tender mutton boiled quickly in a hotpot. The potato stew, cheese and handmade horse milk tea are specialties that travelers should never miss.

Xibei Oat Noodle Village, though having established branches in Beijing, offers food that tastes totally different in Ordos. Many local people say they miss the food the most when they leave their hometown to live in other cities.

Also in Ordos, people can enjoy the seven-star luxury hotel in the desert of the Qixinghu resort, taking trains to the deeper parts of the desert and riding horses in the endless grassland.

June to September is the best time of the year to experience Ordos. It takes less than two hours to fly to Ordos from Beijing and many airlines provide flights to the city.

Travelers should stay in its Dongsheng district or the Kangbashi new district, where there is freshing air, a quiet environment and rabbits in the super-sized parks. The city's traffic is always good, and it is safe to wander the city by oneself.

Cashmere products are the best souvenirs for the tourists to take back home. Cashmere is known as "soft gold" here and various kinds of products, such as scarves, sweaters and gloves, are provided in the city's many stores. The Mongol knives, carpets and jewelry are also good souvenirs for friends.