# Inner Mongolia: inventory and research for seven collections

Researched on 4 October 2026. This is an artistic brief, not evidence of an already completed generation. The map is a visual source; its captions and geographical placement are not automatically accepted as verified facts.

## Inventory of the source map

The elongated map shows Badain Jaran Desert with dunes and a lake, Tengger Desert, Gobi Desert, Ejin Banner with golden poplars; a caravan of Bactrian camels with guides and baggage; Bayannur, the bend of the Yellow River, river agriculture; Helan Mountains, Kubuqi Desert, Ordos Plateau and Ordos; Genghis Khan Mausoleum with three blue-and-gold roofs; Hohhot with a Dazhao-type temple, Yin Mountains; Xilingol Grassland, an ovoo with flags; a large figure of a woman with a ladle at a tea cauldron and bowls; Hulunbuir Grassland with horses, cows, yurts, and a rider; Hulun Lake, Buir Lake, Kerulen River, Argun River; Hailar, Manzhouli; Greater Khingan Mountains with forest and a deer; Tongliao, Chifeng, Xiliao River; an eagle, sheep, and herders. The mausoleum belongs to Ordos, not Hohhot. Labels of neighboring countries and the administrative outline are not carried over. There are no Camellia plantations on the map.

## Verified tea contexts and limitations

**Milk tea:** the national intangible heritage portal confirms the tradition of preparing Mongolian milk tea (S2). The Horqin district description shows a tea brick, brewing, filtering, fresh milk, stirring and salt (S3). Variants differ: we do not declare any of them the only recipe and do not attribute mare's milk to all drinks.

**Regional variants:** Chifeng cultural administration describes a copper pot with milk tea, roasted grain, milk foam and other additions (S4); Xilingol commercial department — qingzhuan, milk, salt, butter and serving with roasted grain/milk cheese (S5). For the drawing these are separate actions and different vessels, not seven identical cups. Modern West Ujimqin competitions confirm living practice, not only a museum image (S6).

**Trade:** official Fujian material links the Dashengkui merchants and the tea route with Wuyishan and Kyakhta (S7). The Hohhot/historical Guihua trading yard scene is a generalization of trade, without invented shop names, exchange rates, or exact routes for each batch. Tea is imported; pastures and riverbanks are not turned into tea plantations.

**tea.travel restrictions:** we do not use the unconfirmed formula “one brick for a sheep”, mandatory three cups, monastery spices or mixing Manchuria and Kyakhta. The Mausoleum of Genghis Khan is shown as an Ordos monument, not as a tea object. Oboo stones, yurts and horses are real cultural motifs, but specific tea drinking nearby is artistically staged.

## Sources

- **S1** — [tea.travel — Inner Mongolia](https://tea.travel/en/region/innermongolia/). Editorial route source; unverified historical details excluded.
- **S2** — [National Intangible Heritage Portal: Inner Mongolia](https://www.ihchina.cn/art/detail/id/27726.html). Milk tea as a living tradition.
- **S3** — [Horqin Left Rear Banner Government: local specialties](https://www.houqi.gov.cn/zjhq/lygg/dftc/202405/t20240507_746661.html). Preparation from brick tea and fresh milk.
- **S4** — [Chifeng Culture Bureau: milk tea in a copper pot](https://wlj.chifeng.gov.cn/zwxx/wlzx/202507/t20250730_2632983.html). Regional variant with grain and dairy products.
- **S5** — [Xilingol Trade Office: tea kitchen](https://swj.xlgl.gov.cn/swj/ywgz/scyx/2026042217273812240/index.html). Qingzhuan, milk, salt, stirring, accompaniment options.
- **S6** — [West Ujimqin: contemporary milk tea practice](https://www.xwq.gov.cn/xwzmqq/slsynew/ywdt/xwyw/2025060515221259866/index.html). Official material about the masters' competition.
- **S7** — [Fujian Government: tea route and Dashengkui](https://www.fujian.gov.cn/xwdt/fjyw/202410/t20241024_6552759.htm). Trade connection between southern tea and the northern route, without claiming local cultivation.

## Seven compositional solutions

- **C1 — Tea constellation:** A large cauldron and a raised ladle link preparation, hospitality and imported brick tea.
- **C2 — Large letters — tea worlds:** INNER MONGOLIA becomes architecture of milk tea drinking; letters remain fully legible.
- **C3 — Tea territories:** A coherent path of imported tea: trading yard, brick preparation, milk, serving to a guest.
- **C4 — Illustrated atlas:** Two pillars of the atlas — camels and poplars in the west, yurt and tea host in the east.
- **C5 — Parade of landmarks:** An uneven procession of vessels, hosts, horses and caravan; friendly double outline.
- **C6 — Travel lines:** The diagonal of the ladle matches the movement of horses and caravan, tea actions remain large.
- **C7 — Based on real mugs:** Ten large episodes in simple outline: six tea actions and four groups of regional motifs.

## General parameters

English only. C7 contains only the main title; C1–C3 allow short verified captions. Native RGBA 3840 × 1280, significant elements in x60–3780/y110–1170; final central export 3840 × 1152, 250 × 75 mm. No mockup, opaque background, or fixed proportion of emptiness. Regional palette: #204D6D, #BE923B, #7B984A, #B06E54, #79A5AD. C1 uses the first two inks, C2–C3 all five, C4–C7 the first three. The reference defines the manner, not the transfer of Guangdong subjects.