“Dinosaur Town” and “Tea Road”, these two seemingly irrelevant name combined in the Sino-Mongolian border town Erenhot. Erenhot is the dinosaur fossil origin, and was earliest recorded in the international paleontological annals of Inner Mongolia, and now unearthed a large number of underground dinosaur bone fossils and dinosaur egg fossils and known as China's “dinosaur town”. The Tea Road rise in the early Qing Dynasty is an important international trade route after the “Silk Road”, and Erenhot is the important stop of the tea road.
From entering the territory of Inner Mongolia, the land on both sides of the road stretch, until endless. Black and gray asphalt road was straight forward, seemed to be leading to the horizon. From afar, we saw the huge dinosaur statue discrete on both sides of the road, long neck stretching to the other, until the two dinosaur's mouth touch, a full 80 meters wide, which is Erenhot most famousa sign of “Kiss of Dinosaur”, indicates that we have entered the territory of dinosaurs living in the tens of millions of years ago.
There is a dinosaur Landscape Avenue stretches for a few kilometers form the “Kiss of Dinosaur”, standing by 99 different patterns of dinosaur statue on both sides of the endless prairie. These dinosaur statues together with a huge white wind mill constitute a scene of ancient and modern.
Cretaceous 70 million years ago is located in the marsh 9 km northeast of the downtown area of now Erenhot. The climate is hot and humid, forested jungle, so was a paradise to live and multiply for dinosaurs. Here is rich in fossils of dinosaurs and other vertebrates, paleontologist called “dinosaur graveyard”. Paleontologists, geologists here six large-scale investigation and excavation disk foot dragon, Euclidean A dish dragon, duck-billed dinosaur, bird-like dragon, Ankylosaurus, ceratopsian fossils have been discovered more than ten kinds. Paleontologists and geologists have made six large-scale investigations and excavation, and have discovered more than ten kinds of fossils, such as duck-billed dinosaur, birdlike dragon. In 2009, this area was to establish Erlian Basin Cretaceous Dinosaur National Geopark.
At the park entrance, some huge simulation dinosaur skeletons stand alone.
There are three museums in the park: the dinosaur science museum, dinosaur fossils in situ burial Museum and mineral crystals Museum.
Earliest dinosaur egg fossils were found in Erenhot. A nest of dinosaur egg fossils were saved so complete, very rare, even the pattern on dinosaur eggs was clearly visible.
The dinosaur fossils situ burial Museum is a newly built stadium, the museum is an excavation site and the original site without moving.
The Erlian Basin Cretaceous Dinosaur National Geopark still needs to upgrade and improve. Hope one day, Erenhot not just “dinosaur town”, but is a truly comprehensive, modern, content-rich dinosaur museum.
Separated by a wall, there is the Erin Inn Museum, which not only tells the story of the Erenhot, but also recounts the whole past of the Tea road.
The rise of the “Tea Road” was in the early Qing Dynasty. Tea Road is another important international trade route after the “Silk Road”. Tea was originated in China, and was introduced to Japan around the Han Dynasty. In Tang Dynasty, Arab traders brought the Chinese silk, porcelain and tea to the West through “Silk Road”.
With the development of Sino-Russian trade, tea gradually increased exports to Russia. Sino-Russian businessman got huge business interests from the tea trade, so the tea gradually became the most important commodity in the Sino-Russian trade.
Tea is the indispensable drinks, and locals generally have bread with tea for breakfast in the morning. They must have tea after lunch. Their daily tea can up to five times, while the tea-loving people can drink ten to fifteen cups.
There is also a lot tea utensils unearthed along the road.