WEBEtymology. The area was known as the Ih Ju League, also spelled Ikh Juu, from 1649 to 2001. It was redesignated a prefecture-level city and renamed to Ordos on 26 February 2001. "Ordos" means "palaces" in the Mongolian language. " Ordos" originally referred to a tribe belonging to the Yeke Juu (Ike Chao ‘great monastery’, i.e. Ih Ju or Guanghui Monastery) league and later included the ...