The 'Green City' — Mongolian heritage, lamaseries and the gateway to the steppe.
Hohhot — 'Green City' in Mongolian — is the capital of Inner Mongolia and the cultural heart of the region's Mongol heritage. Its great lamasery, Dazhao, and the nearby Zhaojun Tomb anchor a city that is also the jump-off point for the steppe.
In summer the surrounding grasslands turn emerald and the yurts fill with music, roast lamb and milk tea.
Here are the highlights worth your time in Hohhot.
The city's grandest lamasery, with a silver Buddha.
Tickets ¥35Dinosaur and Mongol-empire exhibits.
FreeThe mound of a Han princess who married a Xiongnu chief.
Tickets ¥65A Qing stupa with astral carvings.
Tickets ¥15The old walled quarter, now a lane of eats.
FreeA lakeside wetland west of the city.
FreeHohhot has its own kitchen — here are the dishes to try.
Boiled lamb eaten with a knife — the steppe way.
Salty Tibetan-style milk tea, a daily drink.
Buckwheat rolls, a northern staple.
A whole leg roasted over coals.
Dried milk curd, sweet and chewy.
Grassland bonfires and song.
Milk-tea tents in town.
Evening music in the parks.
High-speed from Beijing (~2.5 h).
Hohhot (HET) is domestic-international.
Coaches to the grasslands.
Works with foreign cards.
Hire a car for the steppe.
Where you stay shapes the trip. Three good bases:
By Dazhao.
Stay out on the steppe.
Practical.
Grassland trippers, Mongolian-culture fans.
