The park is situated in Heshigten Banner, 210 km northwest of the urban area of Chifeng City and 400 km north of Beijing. It lies at the convergence of several geographic regions: the Greater Khingan Mountains to the east, the Yan Mountains to the south, and the Hunshandake Sandland to the southwest. The collision belt of the North China Platform and the Xingmeng Geosyncline also runs through Hexigten. The eight park areas are scattered throughout the area, sampling glacial, volcanic, desert, and hydrological land forms of scenic beauty and geological significance. Altogether, the park covers 1,750 km2 out of Hexigten Banner's total area of 20,673 km2.
Park areas
Arshihaty granite forest
The Arshihaty granite forest in northern Hexigten Banner is a "forest" of stone columns created by frost splitting, freezing and thawing cycles, and erosion by wind. The granite columns are unusual in their strong horizontal segmentation. Five scenic areas in the granite forest are nicknamed the moon castle, sworn brothers, eagle with folded wings, fortress besieged, and live folk entertainment.
Qingshan granite mortars
The Qingshan granite mortars area is a landscape of glacial potholes similar to giant's kettles. These are round pits in the rock, formed by whirlpool-like swirling water during the Quaternary period. The two-square-kilometer area contains over 300 potholes ranging in size from 50 cm to a few meters, with shapes resembling pots, jars, spoons, buckets, and basins.
Dali Nur volcanic landscape
Dali Nur is a lake in the western part of Hexigten Banner, with several park areas near its shores. The Dali Nur volcanic group lies on the northwest shore. Volcanic features include a basalt plateau and the large "plugs" of extinct volcanos, which once formed islands in the lake when water levels were higher. The plugs are now isolated hills.
Huanggangliang Quaternary glacial remnant
Mount Huanggangliang is the highest peak in the Greater Khinganmountain range, with a peak at 2029 m. Above 1500–1700 m there are "island-like' permafrost areas, remaining from the last glaciation.
The Pingdingshan glacial cirques are remnants of the Quaternary, in the southeast part of Hexigten Banner. The existence of cirques and other Quaternary glacial features in Hexigten are importance evidence of the glacial history of northern China.
The Xar Moron River flows to the northeast through Hexigten Banner. The vicinity of the Xar Moron was the original homeland of the Khitan people. In the southwest of Hexigten, the river forms a deep "grand canyon" which is included as one of the park areas.
Hunshandak sand land
is one of the four largest sand lands in China, covering an area of 53,000 km2. It is an ecologically sensitive region, undergoing rapid desertification because of overgrazing: from the 1960s to 2000, the fraction of Hunshandake occupied by sand dunes increased from 2% to 33%. The sandland park area with its dunes is located in the part of Hunshandake on the south shore of Dali Nur.
