Ordos city is located in the southwest of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, governing Dalate Banner, Zhunge’er Banner, Yijinhuoluo Banner, Uxin Banner, Hangjin Banner, E’tuoke Banner, E’tuokeqian Banner, and Dongsheng District where the city’s administrative center is situated, and it consists of 9 Autonomous Region-level economic and technological development zones. It has an area of 86,700 sq. km, with a population of 1.3945 million among which 160,000 people are ethnic minority. It is a prefecture with Mongolian as its major residents and Han nationality as the majority of its residents.

    Ordos has a long history, being the birthplace of the renowned “Hetao Culture”. The story that Zhaojun Departed the Frontier as the princess of China to marry the King of Xiongnu (Huns) in the Qin and Han Dynasties has been widespread for hundreds of years. In the 13th century, Genghis Khan, the greatest emperor, was attracted to the beautiful scenes of Ordos during his way to Western Xia Dynasty for expedition, and selected Ordos as the place where his tomb would be.

    Ordos city is 400 km from its east to west, and 340 km from its south to north. It is surrounded by the Yellow River in its western, northern and eastern sides, and is nearby the Ancient Great Wall and joined to Loess Tableland in its southern side. It abuts Ningxia, Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces. The geographic, economic and cultural advantages of Hohhot, capital of the Autonomous Region, and Baotou, grassland steel city, as well as the unique advantages of Ordos in resources form a golden triangle for a new-round economic development in the Autonomous Region.

    Ordos has tremendous overground and underground resources. The proved reserve of coals reaches 149.6 billion tons, approximately accounting for 1/6 of the overall proved reserve across the country. The proved reserve of natural gas is 750.4 billion m3, among which the reserve of the Sugeli gas field, one of China’s ultra-large gas field, is up to 602.5 billion cubic meters . The reserves of natural alkalis, salts, Glauber’s salts, gypsums, limestone and kaolin are 60 million tons, 10 million tons, 7 billion tons, 3.5 billion tons, 6.5 billion tons and 6.5 billion tons respectively. The annual productions of wools and leathers are 9.7 billion kg and 2.33 million pieces, respectively. Each year, the production of Arbas cashmere, the so-called soft gold, is 700,000 kg, approximately accounting for 1/3 and 1/6 of the overall productions in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and China respectively. In addition, the annual productions of Liangwai liquorice and ephedra herbs are 4,000 tons and 10,000 tons respectively. It also has superior clays and analcites, Hanggin No.2 earth and various types of wild green plants.