Hohhot - prefecture-level city in China

Hohhot (Chinese: 呼和浩特 Hūhéhàotè; Mongolian: Höh hot) is the capital of Inner Mongolia and serves as the region's administrative, economic, and cultural capital.

Understand

Etymology

Hohhot is a combination of two Mongolian words: Hoh ('blue') and Hot ('city'). Thus, Hohhot means "blue city".

History

Hohhot has only been the capital of Inner Mongolia since 1947 but is rapidly growing and challenging Baotou as the region's industrial and economic powerhouse. Although only around 11% of the city's population are indigenous Mongols, Mongolian Buddhism (an offshoot of Tibetan Buddhism) continues to thrive and Mongolian culture is actively preserved. As a new capital, the city lacks an abundance of historical and tourist sites. However, it is still definitely worth visiting if in the area. The city is at its greenest and most pleasant in spring and early summer.

Because of the large Hui Muslim population, restaurants with a green or yellow sign are generally Halal and will not serve pork.

Economy

One of China's largest industrial cities, Hohhot accounts for more than 60% of Inner Mongolia's total industrial output and is home to many of China's largest companies.

Hohhot is home to two of China's largest dairy companies: Yili and Mengniu. For this reason, Hohhot is often dubbed as the "Dairy Capital" of China.

Get in

By plane

• Hohhot Baita International Airport (IATA: HET), 40.851422°, 111.824103°. Inner Mongolia's main airport. It is one hour outside of Hohhot; regular flights are available to Beijing, Chifeng, Guangzhou, Hailar, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Shijiazhuang, Tianjin,Wuhan, Xi'an, and Xilinhot. International flights are available to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

By train

There are two train stations in Hohhot: Hohhot (Huhehaote), and the newer Hohhot East (Huhehaotedong).

Hohhot is connected by high speed or conventional rail to the following regional cities: Baotou (1 hr), Beijing (2.5 hr), Datong (2.5 hr), Erenhot (7.5 hr), Yinchuan (8-9 hr).

There are also overnight trains. Beijing to Hohhot overnight train is K89. K89 departs at 21:00 and arrives at 07:20 (9 hr). The K90 from Hohhot to Beijing departs at 21:23 and arrives at 07:20 (cost is ~US$24 for a hard sleeper). Trains 4652 and 4653 run between Hohhot and Erlian. The train leaving from Hohhot departs at 22:00 and arrives at 06:08 (cost is about US$11 for a hard sleeper). International service to destinations include Moscow and Ulaanbaatar.

In 2020, the Hohhot to Zhangjiakou high-speed rail line was completed, connecting to the Beijing to Zhangjiakou line & cutting travel time from Beijing to Hohhot down to 2.5 hours.

By bus

The long-distance bus station is located next to main train station. Facing the station, it is on the left side of the square.

There are regular bus services to the following cities: Baotou (2 hr), Beijing (8-11 hr), Datong (4 hr), Erlian (6-7 hr, ¥88) and Dongsheng (3 hr).

Get around

By metro

Hohhot Metro has two lines. Line 1 runs from east to west between Hohhot Baita Airport in Saihan District & Yili Health Valley in Tumed Left Banner. Line 2 runs from north to south and connect with Line 1 at Xinhua Square Station. Hohhot and Hohhot East railway stations are both connected to the metro but Hohhot East is more seamlessly integrated. Signs and announcements in the Metro are trilingual in Mandarin, Mongolian and English.

By taxi

Taxis start at ¥6 during the day (¥7.50 at night?) and are highly available throughout the day. Taxis are difficult to flag 14:00-15:00 as people go back to work as well as during early evening, or with foul weather. Many streets have regular traffic jams so be prepared to sit and watch the meter.

By bus

Buses run until 20:30 during the winter. English schedules are difficult to find.

By bicycle

Bicycles are by far the most convenient and common in the city. Be careful with the new/foreign traffic patterns. Left turns occur after straight traffic, typically bicycles turn left from the bicycle lane with auto traffic through intersections. Following local traffic is often the safest way to ride and will orient you to traffic patterns, customs, and flow. During peak hours, traffic police will dictate crossing times. Parking your bicycle is easy and convenient in the 'corral' spaces. Attendants will issue you and your bicycle matching 'sticks' and your bicycle will be generally safe while you shop or go to work. Rates are ¥0.5-2/day. Hours may vary.

There are now several apps for smart phones that can be used to hire bicycles, in particular (once linked to a bank card) the social media app Wechat or the wallet app Alipay can be used to hire many public bicycles.

By foot

Depending on construction levels, walking the city is very easy and common and is perhaps the best way to interact with locals. During peak hours, traffic police will dictate crossing times. Theft and molestation is generally not high in the city, however prudence should always be practiced. As a city spectacle, a smile will often turn obvious bewilderment of the passing people into delight. Try it out! ¥0.5-1 is a reasonable amount to offer beggars and the homeless, as are empty plastic bottles.

See

• Da Zhao Temple (大召寺; Dàzhāosì). The oldest Buddhist monastery in the city constructed in 1579. A 2.5-meter silver statue of Sakyamuni Buddha is among the temples most precious treasures. ¥30
• Xilitu Zhao (席力图召; Xílìtúzhào), 112 Danan Street, Yuquan District (Opposite Da Zhao). The largest Buddhist temple in the city and main seat of Buddhism in Inner Mongolia. ¥30
• Inner Mongolia Museum (内蒙古博物院; Nèiměnggǔ Bówùyuàn), 40.8383°, 111.73111°. Exhibitions of the flora and fauna and history of (Inner) Mongolia from the stone age until modern times, as well as on minerals and mining, space exploration, and dinosaurs. Although not all captions are in English there is still a lot of information available and it's not difficult to understand the exhibitions. Free
• Temple of the Five Pagodas (五塔寺; Wǔtasì). An Indian style temple constructed in 1732. Famous for its frescos of 1,500 carved figures of Buddha, the inscription of the Diamond Sutra and an engraved Mongolian star chart. ¥35
• Tomb of Princess Zhaojun (昭君墓; Zhāojūnmù). The resting place of Han princess who voluntarily married a nomad Hun chief to secure peace. She is attributed with the ability to perform miracles. Also contains a small but interesting museum about the Huns including English captions. ¥65
• Great Mosque of Hohhot (呼和浩特清真大寺), No. 28, Tongdao South Road, Huimin District (walk north for about 10 minutes from Da Zhao along the main road, it's on the right side), 40.809667°, 111.655556°. The oldest and largest mosque in the city built in 1693 in Chinese style. Architecturally, a beautiful and unique mosque well worth visiting. The well maintained mosque has an active community. Be sure to catch prayer at sunset which looks like it takes place on a movie set. Adjacent to the mosque is a street with Muslim vendors and restaurants. 2021-02-10
• Hohhot Museum (呼和浩特博物馆), 44 Xinhua Street, Xincheng District (新城区新华大街44号) (next to the Hall of the People; take a metro train to the Renmin Huitang Station on Line 1; alternatively take bus no. 3, 4, 19, 29, 59, 82 or K1), 40.82117979575325°, 111.66948263499317°, +86 471 3592545. 09:30-17:00, no entry after 16:30, closed on Mondays. Free 2023-01-10
• Inner Mongolia Art Museum (内蒙古美术馆), 20 Xinhua Street East, Saihan District (赛罕区新华东街20号) (diagonally opposite the Inner Mongolia Museum; take a metro train to the Shizhengfu Station on Line 1; alternatively take bus no. 2, 3, 5, 12, 16, 27, 53, 59, 66, 80, 83, 92, 98, 113, K1 or S25), 40.83522576213897°, 111.73709393546334°, +86 471 3823102. 09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:00, closed on Mondays. Free 2023-01-10
• Inner Mongolia Museum of Natural History (内蒙古自然博物馆), 13 South 2nd Ring Road, Saihan District (赛罕区南二环路13号) (take bus no. 34, 37 or 78), 40.797009276397844°, 111.70858474149286°, +86 471 6381863. As of January 2023, the museum is temporarily closed. Normal opening hours are 09:00-17:00. Free 2023-01-10
• Inner Mongolia Science and Technology Museum (内蒙古科技馆), A18 Beiyuan Street East, Xincheng District (新城区北垣东街甲18号) (behind the Inner Mongolia Museum; take a metro train to either the Bowuguan station or the Shizhengfu Station (both on Line 1); alternatively take bus no. 12, 27, 59, 80, 113 K! or S25), 40.84132495265236°, 111.73094385444716°, +86 471 3941128. 09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:30, closed on Mondays. Free 2023-01-10

Do

• Dazhao Temple Festivals. Songjing Da Fahui (8th-15th of the 1st and 6th lunar months), Songbalin (14th day of the 1st and 6th lunar months), Liang Dafo (15th day of the 1st and 6th lunar months), and Mani Hui (14th-17th day of eighth lunar month).
• Get to the mountains.
• Great Wall.
• Wind Turbines.
• People's Park, Zhongshan west road. You can drive a pedal boat (¥50/¥60 for 2/4 people) on one of the lakes, ride a giant wheel or just walk around in this very nice park. Parts are like an amusement park, other parts just like a normal park. No entrance fee for the park.
• Go Dojo, Zhongxing International Mansion, No.118, Ulanqab East Road, Saihan District. Training in the game of Go, run by professional player Zhang Jiayao. Instruction is done in Chinese.

Buy

Eat

• Bei Guo Zhi Chun (The Garden Restaurant). A greenhouse/warehouse turned into a massive eatery where plants are abundant as well as water features, indoor yurts, and private space. Great for parties or intimate dinners. The menu is very comprehensive. Tea is not free but is delicious. Wait staff is friendly and places orders via wireless PDAs so it may seem they are pushy. High
• Zang Can Bar (Tibet Food Bar). A small Tibetan restaurant. Great food, atmosphere & jewelry. Private room can sit a dozen people. High
• Xi Bei, Chengjisihan Dajie, Xincheng District (at the new stadium to the northwest of the city). A northwestern Chinese cuisine chain, which started in Inner Mongolia; one of the four stores in Hohhot. The menu is very comprehensive. Tea is not free. The menu is in Chinese and English and meals are delivered via roller skate. Maybe someday they'll re-label the noodle appetizer called "Panda-crusted noodles." Plenty of private rooms available. Wait staff is friendly and places orders via wireless PDAs so it may seem they are pushy. High
• Mongolian Food @ the Race Track. Meals served in traditional Mongolian style in your own private yurt. High
• Fengwei Huoguo. Seafood hotpot. Busy every night, for good reason. Medium
• Shiao Hotel. Buffet closes at 21:00 doors close at 21:30. Buffet overlooking all of Hohhot that rotates so you get the whole 360. Come early. The buffet is ¥50/person

Drink

• Vienna Pub (维也纳港湾), Hulunbeier Nan Road (呼伦贝尔南路) (near Dizhiju Nan Jie). Club with live bands playing Mongolian music all night long. Frequented by many ethnic Mongolians.

Sleep

Budget

• Anda Guesthouse, Qiaokao West Street, Saihan District (赛罕区桥靠西街; Sàihǎnqū Qiáokàoxījiē) (from the train station, take bus 2, 37 or 61, get off at Inner Mongolia Hospital (内蒙古医院)), +86 471 6918039, andaguesthouse@hotmail.com. Electric hob available for cooking, tea & coffee (¥10), light breakfast, train station pick-up, DVDs, internet (¥20 per half hour) and hot showers available without surcharge. Towels for rent (¥5). Dorms ¥60; doubles ¥180
• Lemongo Youth Hostel, 228 Hailar Rd, Xincheng District (Near Inner Mongolia University of Technology). The best youth hostel in town. The hostel would be an outstanding backpackers anywhere in the world. The dorm rooms are very clean, lots of space between beds, and spacious, well furnished common areas. Dorms ¥50 2020-10-04

Mid-range

• Pinnacle Hotel, Zhao Wu Da Road, +86 471 4316688.
• Yunzhong Hotel Hohhot, 27 West Zhongshan Road, +86 471 6968822.
• Binyue Hotel, 52 Zhaowuda Road, Saihan district, +86 471 6605588.

Splurge

• Inner Mongolia Hotel, West Wulanchabu Road, +86 471 6964233.
• Inner Mongolia Jin Jiang International Hotel, 119 Hulun South Road, Saihan District, +86 21 61226688 ext 7800. This five-star hotel in Hohhot brings guests to a new level of luxury, offering almost 1000 rooms with relaxing amenities, event venues and catering services, and recreational facilities. Its website accepts online reservations.

Go next

• The Grasslands. Mongolia's history is linked to its grasslands. Recommended places near Hohhot are: Xilamuren (80 km north), Huitengxile (120 km west) and Gegentela (150 km north).