If you take only one autumn journey this year, make it the Greater Khingan Range in Inner Mongolia.

(Photo: Hu Min)

Each year, from mid-September to early October, the Greater Khingan Range in Inner Mongolia bursts into its richest autumn colors—deep green Mongolian pines, pale yellow birches, orange-red larches, and deep purple shrubs, all blending across the hills like a living oil painting. It is a spectacle that lasts barely 40 days. Miss it, and you'll have to wait another year.

(Photo: Hu Min)

(Photo: Hu Min)

Hulunbuir: Golden Grassland, Silken Rivers

In autumn, the Hulunbuir grassland turns a brilliant gold. The Moergele River winds through golden meadows, cattle and sheep graze peacefully, and haystacks dot the plains. Driving along National Highway G331, you can journey through grasslands, wetlands, and birch forests; visiting the Aoluguya Reindeer Tribe offers close encounters with reindeer and a taste of Ewenki traditions. Autumn in Hulunbuir is a time to slow down and take in the vastness and quiet gentleness of the grasslands.

Arxan: A Hidden Gem of Autumn in the Greater Khingan Range

Autumn is Arxan's season to shine. Camel Peak Tianchi Lake sits like a sapphire set amid the forest sea; Shitanglin Forest's volcanic terrain is rugged and time-worn; and morning mist often rises over Azalea Lake. Larches and birches layer the hillsides, the whole range ablaze with color. Visitors can hike the forest trails and listen to the wind through the trees; in the evening, stand by the Unfrozen River and watch the sunset turn the water orange. Forests, volcanoes, and lakes all find their place here—every snapshot looks like an oil painting.

Chifeng: A Freewheeling Rhapsody on the Open Road

The best way to experience autumn in Chifeng is to start from Jingpeng Town and connect the Re'a Line and the Dada Line into a loop. In autumn, the Ulan Butong grassland fades into a warm gold, birch forests turn orange and yellow, General's Pond mirrors the colored woods, and Hamaba's valley terraces and grazing livestock catch the shifting light at sunrise and sunset. Along the Dada Line, straight roads and wind turbines stretch across the Gonggeer grassland, with a real sense of wilderness; drive further west to Yulong Sand Lake, where dunes meet water—autumn in the dunes has a boldness all its own.

This is autumn at its most fleeting. In 40 days, snow will blanket it all. So go—while the colors last.