Inner Mongolia: Where lambs arrive on plates and brides leave on horses

By Faisal Kidwai (chinadaily.com.cn)

Updated: 2015-07-02

A woman dressed as a bride says goodbye to her ‘mother’ at a mock wedding organized for diplomats and guests in the middle of a desert in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, June 27, 2015. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

A couple, faux parents of the bride, sitting on cushions nearby looked at her and then the 20-odd others present. The wide smiles and nodding of heads signified all of them were happy with the occasion.

There are some places in the world that offer so much that it becomes nearly impossible to pick and choose. Inner Mongolia is one.

From grasslands where horses and camels roam free under the blue sky to the Genghis Khan mausoleum to the economic and hi-tech centers, it has everything.

Although the marriage ceremony wasn't real, watching the 'groom' in elaborate robe, hat and riding boots arrive on a horse with friends on each side in the middle of a desert in Ordos city and then leave with his bride galloping on her horse is a sight worth experiencing.

Unlike so many other places, Inner Mongolia has somehow managed to retain its traditions and simultaneously transform itself into a modern region with world-class infrastructure and industries.