I Came Seeking, Unexpectedly Encountering Your Natural Beauty – Ulanbulin Grassland

Preface: Every autumn, the Ulanbulin Grassland's forests are covered in lush, colorful foliage, beautiful to the point of intoxication.

So, I came seeking, and unexpectedly encountered her natural appearance, the brilliant autumn colors of the grassland have now faded—

Without the vibrant colors, the grassland's late autumn is a bleak yellow. The birch forests have shed all their autumn leaves, and the withered grasses beneath reveal barren sand dunes. The barrenness after the autumn colors reveals that the grassland is not as abundant as it appears.

The slopes are the fertile land of the grassland, covered with vast birch forests, and the grasses stretch from the foot of the slopes to the top. The grasses are sparsely distributed, interspersed with fallen birch trees. Away from the shelter of the trees, the withered grasses cannot conceal the thick sand dunes, and the vast expanse is dotted with undulating sand mounds.

This is a semi-sandy grassland. The loess plateaus are dotted with lakes, which appear exceptionally precious.

Proper pastures are fenced with barbed wire, and meadows are formed by the grasslands with patches of grass. The rich yellowish-brown meadows are bathed in sunlight, warm and bright, shimmering with golden light. The cattle in the meadows, strong and beautiful in physique, shine brightly; the ritual of the grassland pastoral song is vividly beautiful, like a dynamic oil painting.

The cattle are resting. A powerful bull stands at the outer edge of the herd, as if a leader, silently watching its flock. Behind the cattle, in the distance, the birch forest floats along the slopes, becoming the most beautiful background of the meadow.

The Ulanbulin Grassland was originally a hunting enclosure and stable for the Qing Dynasty; there are no cattle grazing places, only horses frequently appear.

There is no majestic galloping of ten thousand horses, often seven or eight horses walking on the slopes, three or five horses feeding among thorny bushes, and some horses ride alone in the depths of the grassland.

Horses are free, as if without a master. Gazing into the distance, the barren hills, withered trees, and thorny bushes and grasslands, the yellowish grass, light and dark interlaced, sparse and uneven, presenting a quiet and serene appearance, presenting a national style antique atmosphere.

Compared to the cattle's meadow, the horses' habitat has sparse vegetation. In sight, every encounter with the horses is about feeding; looking at the horses’ hooves, the low and dry grasses may not satisfy their hunger. Far away, the slopes, the sheep flock came together, then flowed away like clouds, fleeting and gone.

The sky is high, the ground is distant, the wind is light and the clouds are light. Occasionally, the cattle run through the birch forest, and after the swift hooves, the silent wilderness is quiet, like natural music.

Few tourists, only us and the grassland, gazing at the towering birch forests and the blue sky.

One color of withered yellow grass, the grassland's late autumn, the change is only in the shades of light and dark. The master of all things, the sun sheds warm light, and in the sunlight, the grassland is warm and caring, protecting its creatures.

After the brilliant autumn colors fade, the grassland falls into silence. This late autumn, the desolate beauty of the desolate wilderness is a different kind of pleasure in the heart.

The late autumn of the grassland—

Looking at the autumn leaves falling from the plateau, searching for the wilderness across the grasslands, withered and yellow. Like this, the desolate wilderness has no color, the withered grasses are also beautiful. In the late autumn, the beauty of the blooming after the splendor, your natural appearance, is visible in your eyes!

Photography: Du Juan

2018 Autumn Ulanbulin

Beijing's border town ancient northern mouth