(LISA HAORAN WANG)

Tourism at a price

Along the Argun River, the river border between Russia and China, the grasslands seem to roll endlessly under cloud dappled skies. The landscape is dotted with yurts and grazing sheep. The residents here are ethnic Mongol pastoralists. China is home to 5.8 million ethnic Mongols, most of whom live in Inner Mongolia. Once nomadic, the Mongol herders of Hulun Buir are now permanently settled. They no longer change pastures with the seasons.

With new technology, their lives have become relatively easier. They use wind generators and solar panels to power their yurts and store extra electricity in car batteries. Inside the yurts are lamps, radios and even DVD players. And recently, the herders have begun to explore the tourism business.

Along the newly paved road that runs beside the Russian border, are a number of Mongol families offering tourist accommodations in their yurts. One man named Bataar, which means "hero" in Mongolian, said his family just started their business this year. Their family of 10 live in two yurts. There are six other yurts available to accommodate travelers. They allow their guests to ride horses through the grasslands and serve up lamb head with trotters for dinner. Here, tourism provides additional income, but the residents have not fully perfected the art of hospitality. After dinner, Bataar proclaims that their family would like to welcome the guests by singing traditional Mongolian songs. However, they say they will only sing if they are paid. Afterwards, he chuckles apologetically and says, "Please give us some advice, we're new to this tourism business!"