Savoring Chinese micro-towns

Most travel magazines have a standard list of must-see places in China, which include major cities. But you might be able to find some nuggets in micro-towns, which are municipalities with less than 100,000 people. The best way to appreciate them is by foot.

You might not be able to find the micro-towns you wish to visit on a map.

They are so tiny, some do not even have a single traffic light, but are not lacking otherwise. Most of them are equipped with Internet connection and modern logistics.

Micro-towns in China have special geographical characteristics, cultural personalities, intact ecology, mature tourism and entertainment facilities, and are self-sufficient. But yet, they are not too commercialized.

The amazing part about these towns is their local flavor. When you visit, you will not only be treated with beautiful landscape that provides peace in the heart but also a sense of wonder.

Aershan's residents are warm and friendly. Guo Tao / Provided by Traveler Magazine

Inner Mongolia

Aershan exudes fairytale beauty

Aershan is Inner Mongolia's best kept secret. Many travelers are said to stay mum about their wonderful experience there because they fear that the heels of more visitors will scratch its fairy-tale beauty.

But still, at summer when the grassland turns green like emerald, Aershan's 6,000 residents are overwhelmed with throngs of visitors, mostly from nearby Beijing. Most of them rent hotels along Wenquanlu.

The town is famous for its delicious lamb skewer. To burn it off, take a stroll in the sea of flowers upon a hilltop beside the Wenquanlu. From the hilltop, the red or blue buildings in town look like abstract jigsaw - a sight to behold.

Apart from the sights, visitors will find the friendly characteristic of Aershan people as refreshing as the air of the wide grassland. It is common to see strangers greeting each other on the streets.

And you might catch female rangers. Only seen in Aershan and Dalian, these rangers are like guest models sashaying on grassland.