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The Chinese village that looks nothing like CHINA (and how to get there) |S8, EP154
Arxan: China's Border Village That Doesn't Look Chinese
In this episode, I'm riding to Arxan, a Chinese village close to the border with Mongolia, but that doesn't look Chinese, nor Mongolian...
International Paperback edition = NOT signed
Here I teach all my filming techniques including getting drone shots while riding!
In this episode, I'm riding to Arxan, a Chinese village close to the border with Mongolia, but that doesn't look Chinese, nor Mongolian...
This episode takes us on a memorable ride to Arxan, a village near the Mongolian border that defies expectations. Nothing about the place looks Chinese—or even Mongolian. The landscape, architecture, and atmosphere feel wildly unexpected. Travelling by vintage Yamaha Tenere, the rider navigates remote roads to reach this hidden corner of China. It's a journey full of surprises, proving the most fascinating destinations often don't fit our assumptions. Arxan is a stunning reminder of China's incredible diversity, and the ride there is just as captivating as the destination.
In this episode, I'm riding to Arxan, a Chinese village close to the border with Mongolia, but that doesn't look Chinese, nor Mongolian...
On a crisp morning in Linxi, Itchy Boots sets out with riding companions Bing and Xiao Yue for Arxan, a tiny town in Inner Mongolia that defies expectations. Today's route pushes far north, skirting the Mongolian border, with more than 300 kilometers of muddy roads and mountain climbs ahead. Bing's eye is finally better, so after navigating city traffic, Xiao Yue takes over riding, looking badass on the heavy bike. It is the kind of daily teamwork that defines long-distance motorcycle travel.
Before leaving the grasslands, Itchy Boots checks Frankie's oil, a familiar ritual on her nearly 40-year-old Yamaha. The engine has been good since a piston replacement, but old bikes need attention. She tops up a tiny bit and laughs at how hard it is to read the oil level without a glass window. Then the pollen arrives — a swirling storm that makes her feel like she is inside Avatar. She battles hay fever, but the scenery softens the discomfort: wildflower fields, young horses on the road, and empty landscapes rolling toward the border.
Lunch is a local truck stop where entire truck engines are hoisted out and a guard kitten watches over things. Itchy Boots and her companions eat chicken balls, rice and dishes she cannot identify. A sudden rain shower passes, and then comes a lesson in Chinese digital payments: only WeChat works, not Alipay, so Bing has to help pay. Soon after, the real adventure begins. Near Mongolia, police stop her at a checkpoint. With a phone call to Bing, the border police register her passport. More checkpoints follow, including a military stop where she is asked to remove her helmet. It feels tense but routine.
Arriving in Arxan is like entering another world. The town has no high-rise apartment blocks; instead, small houses sit beside a river under forested mountains. The architecture is an improbable mix of Japanese, Russian/Siberian and European influences. Itchy Boots explains how Japan occupied northeastern China in the 1930s and called it Manchuria, turning Arxan into a strategic base. The railway station, built in 1937 and still active, is said to be the smallest in China. With less than 3,000 residents, the town feels like an alpine Disneyland.
The final surprise is a handcrafted shop with jade floors and stairs, jewellery made from gemstones, and massive mammoth tusks imported from Siberia. She counts at least eight tusks in complete sets; one is priced at nearly two million yuan. A cat wearing a university T-shirt adds a touch of whimsy. As the weather turns, she ends the video, then shares one more local experience: roasted bread, sugar, and mushroom tea made from tree fungus. Locals call it good for the stomach, and a medicinal mushroom is said to grant longevity. It is a fitting end to a day full of strange, beautiful discoveries.
In this episode, Itchy Boots rides deep into Inner Mongolia to reach Arxan, a border town that looks nothing like China — or Mongolia. After days of muddy roads, pollen storms and police checkpoints, she finds a tiny alpine-like village with Japanese, Russian and European architecture, a 1937 railway station, and an astonishing shop full of mammoth tusks. It’s a surreal, beautiful detour on her round-the-world motorbike journey.
Itchy Boots rides to Arxan, a surprising Chinese border town with Japanese and European architecture, a tiny railway station and mammoth tusks.
Arxan China: Riding to a Border Town That Looks Like Europe and Japan
2:48 On a long daily ride, check your motorcycle oil level especially with a vintage bike. Itchy Boots removes the side panel and tops up a little oil, reminding riders that old engines naturally consume oil.
9:15 At a remote Chinese lunch stop, payment may rely on WeChat only. Alipay did not work, so having a local companion or a friend to transfer money can save you when ordering food.
15:08 Near the Mongolian border, expect police and military checkpoints. Keep your guide's phone number handy, carry your passport, and be willing to remove your helmet for routine identity checks.
20:51 Visit Arxan's 1937 railway station, claimed to be the smallest active station in China. Its architecture reflects Japanese and Soviet history and makes a quick, fascinating stop before rain.
22:33 In Arxan's wooden gift shop, you can see enormous mammoth tusks imported from Siberia, jade floors, and gemstone jewellery. Some pieces are priced around two million yuan, so just enjoy the spectacle.
2:48 On a long daily ride, check your motorcycle oil level especially with a vintage bike. Itchy Boots removes the side panel and tops up a little oil, reminding riders that old engines naturally consume oil.
9:15 At a remote Chinese lunch stop, payment may rely on WeChat only. Alipay did not work, so having a local companion or a friend to transfer money can save you when ordering food.
15:08 Near the Mongolian border, expect police and military checkpoints. Keep your guide's phone number handy, carry your passport, and be willing to remove your helmet for routine identity checks.
20:51 Visit Arxan's 1937 railway station, claimed to be the smallest active station in China. Its architecture reflects Japanese and Soviet history and makes a quick, fascinating stop before rain.
22:33 In Arxan's wooden gift shop, you can see enormous mammoth tusks imported from Siberia, jade floors, and gemstone jewellery. Some pieces are priced around two million yuan, so just enjoy the spectacle.
0:24 Morning ride with Bing and Xiao Yue
0:48 Heading north to Arxan
2:48 Checking oil on Frankie
5:00 Pollen storm on the road
9:15 Lunch at local truck stop
11:27 Police passport check
17:24 Arriving in Arxan
20:51 Visiting famous railway station
22:33 Mammoth tusks shop visit
25:40 Trying local mushroom tea
0:24 Morning ride with Bing and Xiao Yue
0:48 Heading north to Arxan
2:48 Checking oil on Frankie
5:00 Pollen storm on the road
9:15 Lunch at local truck stop
11:27 Police passport check
17:24 Arriving in Arxan
20:51 Visiting famous railway station
22:33 Mammoth tusks shop visit
25:40 Trying local mushroom tea
round the world on motorbikemotorbike travellersolo female travelleradventure rideroffroad motorcycleitchy bootsyamaha tenereyamaha xt600xt600zvintage motorcycle1987 yamaha tenerearound the worldtravel chinaarxan china中國精彩體驗中國機車旅行What was it like riding through the border checkpoints near Mongolia?
I got stopped a few times. At one military checkpoint they asked me to take off my helmet and register my passport. Bing helped by phone, and once the paperwork was done I could keep going.
What makes Arxan look so different from the rest of China?
There are no high-rise apartment blocks, just small houses beside a river in the mountains. The architecture mixes Japanese, Russian and European styles because of the Japanese occupation and Soviet presence during World War II.
What was the most surprising thing you saw in Arxan?
The shop with jade floors and mammoth tusks. They had several complete sets imported from Siberia, and one pair was priced at nearly two million yuan. I still wonder if it was all real.
What did you think of the local mushroom tea?
We made tea from a mushroom that grows on trees, and it looked like wood. Locals said it was good for the stomach; another medical mushroom was said to give you longevity. I had never seen anything like it.
