On the vast, windy grasslands of North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, ethnic Mongolian herders on horses and motorcycles gather around a semi-trailer truck parked beside a lonely road.

People go in and out of the trailer, looking curiously at the objects inside.

"This is my first time seeing so many artifacts," said Eader, a young Mongolian from Mandela Sumu in Alxa Right Banner, after finishing his tour.

The 45-sqm semi-trailer has eight touch screens and glass cases holding replicas of exquisite ancient artifacts between the screens.

Inner Mongolia Museum spent five million yuan (784,150 U.S. dollars) and took three years to build the semi-trailer exhibition space specifically to take the museum experience to herders and farmers in remote areas.

Visitors can scroll through the screens to browse the artifacts, or scan QR codes to get a link with information about the artifact on their mobile phone.

"We present the collections using high-definition 3D visuals and use augmented reality (AR) to enhance the experience," said Ulantuya, who works with the museum.

The technology was first used to digitally archive the museum, and later used in the semi-trailer to ensure the collections are vividly presented, Ulantuya said.

Inner Mongolia, with its diverse landscapes covering an area of 1.18 million square kilometers, spans across northern China, and many herders and farmers live in sparsely populated areas far away from cities.

Since the semi-trailer exhibition space was put to operation in 2013, it has traveled more than 30,000 kilometers.

"From forests to grasslands, and deserts, we have been to almost every inch of the region," said Ashtar, a guide at the exhibition.

During the trips, Ashtar introduces the artifacts to local herders and farmers, translates for those not proficient in Mandarin, and sometimes even puts on performances for them.

"It is a hard job," Ashtar said, "but the herders' enthusiasm makes it all worthwhile."

When Eader completed his tour, he left by motorcycle and returned later with his mother.

"Many artifacts were excavated from the grasslands, we have such a long history," he told his mother excitedly.

Ashtar said many herders are just too busy or have no access to museums, bringing the museum to them is a good way for them to learn about history.

"I remember a herder riding a horse hesitated to visit the exhibition," said Ashtar.

"I found out he was just afraid his horse might run away if he left it. I helped attend to his horse so he could view the artifacts," Ashtar said, "When he finished, he was very impressed."

" He said, 'After seeing so many precious artifacts and learning about our history, I feel so proud,'" Ashtar recalled.

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