The Forest border city Hohhot
Located in North China, the northern border area and the interior of the Eurasian continent, Hohhot is the capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It is also an important border opening center city of China to Mongolia and Russia.
Hohhot is a famous city with a long history, distinctive national characteristics, and numerous scenic spots and historic sites. There are more than 50 various temples, and also many scenic grassland tourist spots on the outskirts of the city. In addition to typical and Mongolian characteristic streets, there are also Islamic style streets, where various cultures are mutually inclusive. For Muslim and Tibetan Buddhism culture lovers, you must add Hohhot to your China tour journey.
Top sights to see in Hohhot
Dazhao Temple
A large Tibetan Buddhist temple in the southern Yuquan District of Hohhot, belonging to the Gelug Sect (Yellow Sect). It is the earliest Gelug Sect monastery built in Hohhot and has a wide range of influence in the Mongolian area. Dazhao is not only a Buddhist holy place but also a well-known tourist attraction at home and abroad. The splendid temple buildings, precious cultural relics, artworks, as well as the mysterious Chamu dance and Buddhist music, constitute the unique "Temple Culture" of Dazhao.
Inner Mongolia Museum
One of the earliest museums established in China's ethnic minority areas and was listed in the history of world architecture as early as the 1950s. The exhibition hall building of the museum is unique in shape and has very national characteristics. It is one of the landmark buildings of the autonomous region. In addition to the exhibition of history, culture, and various cultural relics, the museum also has an exhibition of paleontological fossils of Inner Mongolia.
Five Pagoda Temple
Located in the southeast of the old city of Hohhot, it was originally called the Vajra Seat Serial Pagoda. As there are five square reliquary pagodas on the tower, it is called the Five Pagoda Temple. Built-in the 18th century, the tower is constructed of bricks and is about 13 meters high. The lower part of the tower is inlaid with the scriptures written in Mongolian, Tibetan, and Sanskrit. The font is very neat and the carving is exquisite and meticulous.
Genghis Khan Park
A free public park located in the northeast of Xincheng District. Built on the original sand mining field in Hohhot, the park is below ground level and very cool. This is also one of the favorite places for local citizens to exercise. There are red plants growing on the rocky walls of the park, as well as Mongolian-style murals, making it very mysterious and secluded. The park is very large and rich in layout and patterns, some tourists will get lost here.
Islamic Customs Street
Located in the gathering area of Hui people in Hohhot City. On both sides of the street are tall buildings decorated with folded arches, domes, and colored glazed bricks. The Hui people live together here, the Islamic-style buildings are concentrated, and the Muslim business flourishes, forming a strong Islamic atmosphere. There are several food streets behind this area.
Saishang Old Street
Located near Dazhao Temple, Danan Street, Hohhot. It is an ancient street with Ming and Qing architectural styles. The street sells all kinds of fur clothing, veneered ornaments, camel hair socks, leather paintings, etc. Certainly, local snacks and beverages are also indispensable here. Tourists can also buy some souvenirs and ethnic handicrafts with Mongolian ethnic characteristics here.
Hasuhai
Located in Tumet Left Banner, 70 kilometers west of Hohhot, Hasuhai is an oxbow lake leftover from the Yellow River. The water surface area is 32 square kilometers, the water depth is about 2 meters, the water quality is fertile and rich in all kinds of silver carps, carps, crucian carps, Wuchang fish, and river shrimp and crab. All kinds of birds thrive in the reed marshes on the lake, and with the pavilions and willows on the shore form a beautiful and harmonious natural landscape.
Hadamen National Forest Park
Located in Wuchuan County of Hohhot, Hadamen is a national forest park with mountains, grasslands, canyons, and forest landscapes as the main body, integrating natural landscapes, cultural landscapes, and artificial scenic spots. There are abundant animal and plant resources. The park also features highland pastures with resorts based on ancient nomads' palaces.
Shenquan Ecotourism Scenic Area
Shenquan is an ecotourism scenic spot based on unique natural, historical, and cultural resources, such as deserts, wetlands, grasslands, sacred springs, and nomadic culture. Shenquan ecological tourism scenic area by the Yellow River distribution of the two sides. The left bank is a classical garden scenic spot, with main attractions such as holy springs, teahouse, stage, fountain square, hotel, and catering. The right bank is the Kubuqi desert amusement park, with desert surfing, camel riding, desert kart, desert off-road, etc. The two scenic spots are connected by a ropeway more than 840 meters across the Yellow River.
Shengshuiliang Scenic Spot
Located about 30 kilometers north of Hohhot, at an altitude of 2,150 meters, and one hour's drive from downtown Hohhot. There are alpine grasslands, Zhao Great Wall, virgin forests, grand canyons, natural caves, strange slopes, tombs of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and other attractions in the scenic area. The site of Dayao culture in the Paleolithic Age is here, and Shengshuiliang is also a resort for recreation and summer vacation.
Local activities and specialties in Hohhot
Inner Mongolia Grassland Tourism Festival (Naadam Festival)
A traditional folk festival integrating economic and trade negotiations, material exchanges, competitive competitions, and cultural and entertainment activities on the basis of the Naadam Conference. There are many performances by motorcycle teams, camel teams, equestrian teams, martial arts teams, wrestling, etc. In addition, there are also traditional Mongolian sacrificial activities. The first session was held in September 1991 and then held around August each year.
Ulaan Mochir Horse Riding Art Festival
Held every two years in Hohhot, sometimes with Inner Mongolia Grassland Tourism Festival held at the same time, is one of the most favorite festivals of Inner Mongolia people. Since the founding of the Ulaan Mochir Horse Riding team, it has cultivated and brought up a group of outstanding ethnic minority singers, dancers, and performance artists, all have a high degree of education and artistic accomplishment.
Mongolia Knife
The living utensils of Mongolian herdsmen. It is used for eating meat, and sometimes as a production tool. Now people often carry it around, which are not only indispensable daily necessities for herders but also an ornament. Many knife handles and scabbards are made of horns or bones. Some are inlaid with silver, copper, and aluminum patterns, some are even inlaid with gems, and some are equipped with a pair of animal bones.
Huhuer (Mongolia Snuff Bottle)
A kind of snuff bottle. Herdsmen men often wear Huhuer around their waists, which can clear up nasal congestion, refresh their minds, and are a special "business card". The patterns and decorations on the snuff bottle are mostly derived from the lives of the Mongolian people, with strong national flavor and characteristics.
Best time to visit Hohhot
From May to October every year, it is the best tourist season in Hohhot. For travelers who fancy the grasslands, the best time to visit is from mid-July to early September, when the grasslands scenery is charming. Hohhot is a typical continental climate of the Mongolian Plateau, with obvious climate changes in four seasons and large annual and daily temperature differences. It is characterized by dry and windy spring, intense changes in temperature; summer is short, hot, and less rainy; autumn drops in temperature rapidly, often with frosts; winter is long, severely cold, and less snowy.
How to get to Hohhot
Hohhot Baita International Airport is the largest aviation hub in Inner Mongolia, located 15 kilometers southeast of the downtown area, and its routes basically cover all major provincial capitals and small and medium-sized cities in China. The only international flights currently operating are from and to Ulaanbaatar of Mongolia. For travelers, the most convenient way is to take the flight from Beijing to Hohhot. There are multiple flights from Beijing to Hohhot every day, and the flight time is about 1.5 hours.
Hohhot has two railway stations, Hohhot Railway Station and Hohhot East Railway Station. Regular trains and high-speed trains from most cities in China run to and from Hohhot every day. More than 10 trains from Beijing arrive in Hohhot every day, and it takes about 2.5 hours from Beijing to Hohhot by high-speed train.
Lodging and dining in Hohhot
Lodging in Hohhot
Compared with big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, and Guilin, Hohhot has fewer hotels in terms of number and type. However, there are hotels of various grades that can basically meet the needs of different tourists. Based on the peak/low/holiday seasons, the average price of a 3-star hotel usually ranges CN¥240-450 per night, CN¥350-880 per night for 4-star hotels, and CN¥580-1,500 per night for 5-star hotels.
Most tourists will choose to stay near the scenic spots in the city center, which has convenient transportation and shopping. There are numerous museums, cultural and historical sites, and a strong cultural atmosphere. Famous scenic spots include Five Pagoda Temple, Qingcheng Park, Hohhot Museum, and so on. There are also many people who choose to stay near the Hohhot railway station, which is located in the north of the city center, with trains to all parts of China every day. Qing Dynasty Princess Mansion, Genghis Khan Park, and other attractions are also nearby. If you happen to be traveling in summer, you can consider experiencing a Mongolian yurt staying in the outskirts of Hohhot, which is a type of house where Mongolian herders live.
Food in Hohhot
As the capital of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot has ethnic specialties such as Mongolian milk food, Mongolian milk wine, Mongolian mutton, and Mongolian pasta. The food culture of Hohhot has also absorbed the practices and eating methods of the Hui (Hui is an ethnic group in China who believes in Islam). Hui snacks are also popular in the Hohhot, such as barbecues of mutton kebabs, Shaomai, and haggis. Due to the geographical location, the eating habits of Hohhot are also influenced by Shanxi and Shaanxi Provinces. In particular, pasta/noodle is also very popular here.
The specialty food in the Hohhot area mainly includes Mongolian hot pot, roasted lamb leg/lamb chops/mutton, iron pan braised noodles, horse milk wine, milk tea, cheese, and various dairy pastries. Usually, the price of a piece of dairy pastry or local snack is CN¥7-15, and the price of a cup of milk tea or horse milk wine is CN¥8-20. A bowl of noodles costs CN¥12-20, a plate of mutton/lamb/beef dishes costs CN¥60-90, and a meal of Mongolian hot pot costs around CN¥120 per person.