"Grassland Summer Retreat | The Emerald Labyrinth of Ulan Butong"

| The Emerald Labyrinth of Ulan Butong". "Grassland Summer Retreat | The Emerald Labyrinth of Ulan Butong" The continuous 40°C high temperatures in Beijing finally got the better of me! I took my parents and our Shiba Inu, "Xiaobaga," on an impromptu summer retreat to the grasslands. After much deliberation between Bashang and Ulan Butong, I can confidently say that choosing the latter was the right decision! (Those who have been to Bashang in July can check out my old travelogue, but Ulan Butong's layered scenery is truly a cut above.) ◆ New Transportation Experience ◆ We set off at 6am, and the Jingjia-Capital Ring Expressway was smooth sailing, taking us directly to Saihanba in 5 hours. To my surprise, the once bumpy "artillery road" has been transformed into a smooth asphalt road, although the newly added fire prevention fences on both sides of the forest road are a bit obtrusive. As it was fire prevention season (lasting until June 15), the scenic area was temporarily closed, so we headed straight to our Ulan Butong homestay. ◆ First Glimpse of the Grassland ◆ After checking in, we couldn't wait to rush to the grassland. As the scenery outside the car window switched from a concrete jungle to an endless green carpet, even Xiaobaga in the passenger seat got excited and peered out the window. In June, the grassland was already glistening with a rich sheen, and the rolling hills were as neatly groomed as if they had been combed by a giant comb. Every shot we took looked like a Windows desktop background. ◆ Day of Immersive Roaming ◆ The next day, we designed a perfect loop: Princess Lake morning mist → Wucai Mountain's colorful landforms → Nostalgia at the Film and Television Base (we had already scouted it out the evening before and highly recommend it at sunset). The biggest surprise was the secret spot we discovered on the way back – a leeward grassy slope that became our private campsite. Watching Xiaobaga frolic in the flowers, I finally understood the true meaning of "returning to nature after being cooped up for too long." ◆ Accommodation Surprise ◆ We originally planned to stay at a popular hotel, but the peak season prices were a deterrent. The "rustic homestay" we booked instead brought a pleasant surprise: the detached courtyard perfectly isolated us from the surrounding construction environment, the 40m² starlit room was bright and airy, and the landlady's specialty, "stir-fried eggs with sand onions," was unforgettable. The per capita meal cost of CNY 80 was truly a bargain in the scenic area. 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮 ✅Ticket: CNY 120/person (valid for 3 days) ✅Large temperature difference between morning and evening, bring a windbreaker ✅The grassland is lusher in July, but the number of tourists increases sharply ✅Self-driving experience on the scenic highway > group tour ✅Be careful when entering herders' trails (easy to get stuck) Standing on the rolling green hills, I suddenly remembered the thrill of riding snowmobiles here in winter. Ulan Butong is so magical – when it's covered in silver, it's a snow-covered frontier, and when it's lush green, it's a fairytale wonderland, with different surprises hidden in each season. Perhaps I should come and collect its third face this fall?