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Hohhot introduction
Must-see Attractions:
 Hohhot, which means 'Blue City' in Mongolian, is the capital city of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Lying to the south of Yinshan Mountain and north of the Yellow River, Hohhot is the political, commercial and cultural center of Inner Mongolia. Covering an area of 17,224 sq km (about 4,256,139 acres) and with a population of more than 2.5 million, Hohhot is the home of Han, Mongolian, Manchu, Hui, Korean and many other nationalities. Immense grasslands, rich cultural relics and distinctive ethnical flavor make the city a magnificent tourist destination.
 Hohhot boasts a long history like many other Chinese cities. As early as the Warring States Period (476 BC-221 BC), Zhao Kingdom built Yunzhong City in this area. Today, people still can see the relics of Zhao Great Wall in Hohhot. After the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, defeated other kingdoms and unified China, Hohhot region became Yunzhong County of Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC). Emperor Wu of Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 AD) established many cities for military usage in northern China, and one of the relics can be found in the eastern suburb of the current Hohhot City. During the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, Hohhot region was under the control of Turkic (Tu Jue in Chinese) until a general of Tang Dynasty defeated them and built three cities in this area. In the early tenth century, Qidan founded Liao Dynasty (916-1125) and named this area Fengzhou. In 1572, the leader of Mongolian tribe founded Hohhot City in this area and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) gave it a Chinese name Guihua City (means naturalization). During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Hohhot was expanded to Suiyan City which is an important military port and commercial center in northern China. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Hohhot also gained a name, 'City of Temples', since there were many temples in the city. People can still visit Five Pagoda Temple, Dazhao Temple, Xilituzhao Palace, Wanbu Huayanjing Pagoda and many other precious historical relics.  Mongolian is the major ethnical minority groups reside in Hohhot. Mongolia is what Mongolians called themselves. They originated in the eastern bank of Argun River in seventh century. In the early thirteenth century, Genghis Khan unified all the tribes and his tribe's name Mongol became the name of the whole nationality. After the ruination of Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the Mongols split into several tribes again the grand Mongol Empire became to decline.
Mongolian people are called the 'Nationality on the Horseback' because they live a nomadic life since the ancient time. Mongolian people are very hospitable. Whether you are a relative, a friend or a stranger, Mongolians will welcome you warmly. Visitors are welcomed with an offer of milk tea, alcohol and snacks. A feast of whole cow or sheep is the utmost respect to the visitors. People will sing songs and propose toasts before eating. The eldest people in the room will cut a cross in the forehead of the sheep and cut down some pieces of meat, and then the eldest people will turn the head of the sheep to the main visitor. Then the visitor should turn the head back to the host. The host will sacrifice the head and the meat to Buddha. Mongolian people prefer long garment, short coat and boots. Men like blue and deep blue while women prefer red, green and azure. A Mongolian knife is a must for Mongolian men. It is not only a decoration but also an implement to kill sheep and cut meat since beef and mutton are the major meats in a Mongolian diet. Mongolians are also good at dancing and singing. Matou Qin, or horse head string instrument, is a traditional musical instrument of Mongolian. Long Tune, a unique singing method of Mongolian people, is now one of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
 It is quite cold in Hohhot since it is influenced by monsoon climate. Winter of Hohhot is long and cold with a lowest temperature of -25 to -45 oC (-13 to -49 oF). Thus the best time to visit Hohhot is from April to October when the beautiful scenery of the grassland can be seen, especially from the July to September, when the Nadam Fair is held every year. At that time, visitors can watch the horse racing, Mongolian wrestling, traditional performances etc and enjoy the true essence of grassland lifeIt is easy to get in Hohhot since it is about 500 km (over 310 miles) west of Beijing. Baitai Airport of Hohhot has over 40 national flights as well as two international flights to Ulan Bator and Chita directly. Trains from Hohhot can run to Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Ningbo and many other cities as well as Ulan Bator and Moscow. Public buses and taxis are quite cheap in Hohhot. Visitors also can choose the special Tourism Buses to get around Hohhot.
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