CITY · INNER MONGOLIA
Hohhot
呼和浩特 · Hūhéhàotè
Overview
Capital of Inner Mongolia. Mongolian and Han cultures intertwined; Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, the Inner Mongolia Museum, and the Xilamuren grasslands within driving distance.
Hohhot ('Blue City' in Mongolian) is the capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The city blends a Han majority with a substantial Mongolian minority and a long Tibetan Buddhist heritage — the Dazhao Temple was built in 1579 under the Ming, and the Xilitu Zhao monastery houses lamas in active practice. North and west of the city, the grasslands begin: Xilamuren and Huitengxile are the closest accessible grassland tourism areas, where visitors stay in yurts and watch horse-and-eagle displays.
What to see
- Inner Mongolia Museum
- Dazhao Temple and Xilitu Zhao
- Five Pagoda Temple
- Xilamuren Grassland — overnight in yurts
What to eat
- Hand-grasped lamb (手把肉)
- Milk tea (Mongolian, salty)
- Roast lamb shoulder
- Naizhicha and dried-cheese snacks
Getting there
Hohhot Baita (HET) airport. Hohhot East HSR: Beijing North 2h 30m.
Getting around
Metro and bus. Tour buses to the grasslands.
Where to stay
Around the Dazhao Temple / old town.
We list neighbourhoods, not specific hotels — we don't endorse hotels.
When to go
June–September only. Winter is below freezing for months.
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥250 |
| Mid-range | ¥550 |
| Comfortable | ¥1300 |
Itineraries visiting Hohhot
- Inner Mongolia Naadam Festival Circuit, 5 days
5d · A focused grassland trip timed to coincide with Naadam festival — wrestling, horseracing, and archery competitions on the open steppe near Hohhot or Xilinhaote.
- Inner Mongolia Grasslands — Hohhot to Hulunbuir, 7 days
7d · From Hohhot's Mongolian temples and lamb hotpot to the Sea of Grass at Hulunbuir near the Russian border — Inner Mongolia's full grassland sweep.
- Beijing to Inner Mongolia by Rail, 10 days
10d · Overnight train from Beijing north through Zhangjiakou and Hohhot to the Mongolian steppe — combining Great Wall railway heritage, Inner Mongolia grasslands, and the ruined Xanadu of Kublai Khan.
Food of Northern China
- Beijing Lamb Hot Pot涮羊肉
Beijing-Mongolian style hot pot — clear broth, thinly-sliced lamb, sesame-paste dipping sauce.
- Boiled Dumplings (Shuijiao)水饺
Wheat-wrapper dumplings filled with pork-and-cabbage, lamb-and-leek, or vegetable, boiled and served with vinegar.
- Cat's Ear Noodles猫耳朵
Small thumbnail-pinched Shanxi pasta, shaped like cat's ears. Stir-fried with vegetables or in soup.
- Goubuli Baozi狗不理包子
Tianjin's signature steamed pork buns. The original house, founded 1858, is still operating.
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