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...
Itchy Boots rides to Arxan, a surprising Chinese border town with Japanese and European architecture, a tiny railway station and mammoth tusks.
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.
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!
Arxan China: Riding to a Border Town That Looks Like Europe and Japan
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.
Attractions in this video: Arxan Railway Station, Arxan Hot Springs
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.
