In the far north of Inner Mongolia, HAILAR , with both rail connections and an airport, is the main transport hub of the region, and a centre for grassland visits. It is also one of the remotest places in China, lying a full sixty hours by train from the provincial capital Hohhot - one of the epic train journeys of China and, for train enthusiasts, itself a possible reason for going to Hailar.

The route from Hohhot first passes east through Datong to Beijing, and then moves north back into Inner Mongolia, passing the towns of Chifeng and Tongliao - both of which are surrounded by their own grasslands which can also be visited. From here the train drifts east into Jilin Province in Dongbei. Much later the train cuts back into Inner Mongolia at Zhalantun from where it travels northwest to Hailar. During the last third of the journey the train traverses hilly, grassy pastures, past mist-hung rivers and cool, wooded valleys. For hour after hour there's barely a sign of life.

The town of Hailar itself is of minimal interest, a small, light industrial and agricultural place on the banks of the Heilongjiang (Amur) River with a small Muslim population as well as the usual Mongol/Han mix. There are a number of Muslim and Chinese restaurants, and a market that specializes in fresh river fish, edible fungi and vegetables of prodigious quality. In addition, the town has a couple of shops selling a variety of Mongol handicrafts - saddles, rugs, pots, pipes, knives and very fine leather riding boots.

The main reason for coming here, however, is to see the North Mongolian Hulunbuir Grasslands , an apparently limitless rolling land of plains and low grassy mountains, traced by slow rivers teeming with fish. Hundreds of thousands of sheep, cattle and horses graze this inexhaustible pasture, spread over hundreds of miles. In summer they graze the higher pastures and in winter they come down to the lowlands, still often deep in snow. Transport in the area is mostly by camel and pony.

As elsewhere in Inner Mongolia, there are the CITS-approved villages of Mongol herders, who earn part of their income from occasional groups of tourists, mostly from Japan. Just as at Xilinhot, you can either join an official grassland tour with CITS, or try to strike off independently; one advantage of the grassland tours in this area, however, is that they are not attended by hordes of people. The grass on the Hulunbuir Grasslands is also special - not only is it scattered with a variety of flowers and huge fungi, but, as you soon discover, it is also alive with little black toads, grasshoppers, birds and insects. It is just about impossible to avoid stepping on the toads; the insects, meanwhile, won't try to avoid you - mosquito repellent is essential.

A day trip from Hailar to eat a traditional mutton banquet on the grassland, for a group of four people, costs in the region of ¥120 each. If you want to spend a night on the grasslands as well, reckon on around ¥200.