By Mongh Olji

Illustration: Liu Rui

Inner Mongolia has long been known for its natural grassland. As the poem says, “Vast the sky, boundless the wilds, sheep and cattle emerge before your eyes.” Since the 1980s, the tourism industry has developed rapidly and made significant contributions to the growth of local GDP.

Each summer, the vast grassland is covered with white Mongolian tents. Most prominent tourist spots are integrated with Mongolian nomadic culture. From this perspective, grassland tourism seems to have three responsibilities – to promote nomadic culture, to protect the ecosystem of the grassland, and to make money for residents. It is supposed to actively promote sustainable development of the grassland. Unfortunately, the reality is that the tourism industry has little to do with the grassland.

The Shiramuren grassland, which is located at the eastern part of the northern foot of Yinshan Mountain, 1,600-1,700 meters above sea level, and measures 720 square kilometers, has over 2,200 residents. In this scarcely populated pastoral area, many ecological landscapes can be found, as well as some human-created features such as the Puhui Temple and Naadam Fair.

In recent years, local government gradually planned and developed grassland tourism. In 2008, the GDP of Shiramuren town reached 400 million yuan ($58.5 million). Fiscal revenue exceeded 30 million yuan ($4.4 million). But local environmental deterioration has not been alleviated with the development of the tourism industry.

The modern grassland tourism industry relies on the weather. In favorable weather, plants can be lush and green and tourists come in great numbers. In bad weather, the situation may be quite the contrary.

Because of many factors, like the promotion of a traditional agriculture pattern, over-exploitation and mining and global warming, the Shiramuren River is drying up, and hundreds of miles of grassland is becoming desert. The ground water level continues to decline, plant species are decreasing, and windblown sand tends to be more frequent.

Due to successive years of drought, herdsmen have had to reduce their number of livestock, which results in lower living standards. Flocks of sheep or cattle on Shiramuren grassland are rarely seen. There are still many horses, but they're just tools for tourism.

Transportation construction is also a double-edged sword. It brings environmental problems while facilitating local exchanges with the outside world. Grassland damage brought by vehicles, sound pollution, and solid waste pollution cannot be ignored. Meanwhile, high-voltage lines and cell towers are blocking the splendor of the mysterious Aobao hill.

In addition, modern tourism and consumption culture have had a great impact on local civilization. The main local ethnic group, Mongolian herdsmen, are experiencing the greatest and most profound changes in lifestyle and culture. It's difficult for them to balance their ethnic identity and economic interests. Cultural elements, including Mongolian tents, temples, and traditional dress are becoming external symbols, behind which lies the desire for wealth.

Herdsmen used to have profound reverence for and sentimental attachment to the grassland. Thus, they developed a series of behavioral patterns to protect the environment and use resources rationally. But now, young people simply drive cars or ride motorcycles to pass through the sacred cairns, caring nothing for traditions or morality.

The development of the grassland tourism industry brought a series of problems.

For instance, the pursuit of high profits caused the popularity of materialism. A loss of faith brought challenges to harmonious social relations. The lack of management skills impeded the improvement of efficiency. Culture and civilization became symbols, and the lessons of Mongolian traditions about the environment were ignored.

To develop the tourism industry of Inner Mongolia, we have to integrate eco-tourism and cultural tourism. Sustainable development can be achieved by moderately and reasonably developing modern eco-cultural tourism, protecting the grassland ecosystem, improving locals' living standards, and coordinating the interests of different social groups.

The author is an associate professor at the College of Ethnology and Sociology of Inner Mongolia University