News & Events

by Lee Maoqing ( our tour operator and guide)

Darkhan Muminggan

June 17^th. 2025

Darkhan and Muminggan Tribes

  Darkhan

Before the new order of China was declared Tian-an-meng in Beijing by Chairman Mao, Darkhan people were inhabited to the north of Bailingmiao , the town as today’s headquarter of county level , known in Manchurian administration system as Qi or “Banner”. The gobi desert covers the wide area from the town to the border with Mongolia, nowadays the paradise of China’s rare earth mine.

 In Mongolian, Darkhan means sacred, inviolable. This group , known as Tushetukhan in the sixteenth century, descended from ancient Khalkha, which is the main population of today’s Mongolian. The tribe submitted to the Manchurian in 1653 A.D, the early Qing Dynasty. During the Kangxi period (1662-1722 A.D), the prince of the baron Darkhan married the sixth princess of Kangxi emperor, consolidating its relation with the Qing Dynasty by the marriage.

  Muminggan

The tribe is believed to be the descendants of the princeling Belgutei, Genghis Khan’s sibling from different mother, Surchigei.  In Mongolian, it means lower class. This group is inhabited mainly to the south of Bailingmiao , the green grassland to the north Baotou. The group submitted to the Manchurian 1653, the same year that Darknan tribe was granted to have its autonomous territory by the Qing Dynasty.

In 1950, The two banners were combined in one county level administration, officially known as Darkhan Muminggan United
Banner.

  There is very small difference between the  dress of Darkhan and Muming-an, both dress with its open along the collar to the right underarm. The Muminggan’s sleeve is loose while Darkhan’s sleeve is thinner and a little bit longer.

–