As the capital city of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hohhot, which, in Mongolian, means Eternal City (alternatively "Green City"), is the political, economic and cultural hub of the region. It lies in the center of the southern part of the Tumote Plain, facing the Yellow River to the south and with the rolling Yinshan Mountains to the north as its backdrop, in the area of Inner Mongolia that borders Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Hebei Provinces to the south. The city zone covers 17,224 square kilometers (6,650.19 square miles) with a population exceeding 1,400,000.

History

The city of Hohhot was founded in 1580, circa, as an important trade and fortress city in the Mongolian empire by the ruling Mongol khan, Altan Khan. The region's commerce was characterized by agriculture, especially animal husbandry, as the terrain was especially suited to grazing. Where there is produce, there are also merchants, and Hohhot quickly became an important center of trade. Where people assemble in large numbers, they eventually also build religious edifices, and here was no exception: first a number of Buddhist temples were constructed, then Hui merchants came together to build a mosque (the Hui are traditionally Muslims), which was completed in 1693.

As the city grew, so did its fortifications. When the area came under Chinese domination again, during the Qing (CE 1644-1911) Dynasty, a garrison town was built outside Hohhot. With the fall of Imperial China in 1911 and the rise of the Republic of China, the city of Hohhot and the garrison town outside it were merged, and the new city was named Guisui, but during the occupation of China by Japan as part of the Pacific-theatre prelude to WWII, the city of Guisui was renamed Hohhot, a name it has kept ever since. 

  

Tourism

A famous historical and cultural city along the north boundary, Hohhot is home to more than 50 temples. Also, as a pearl of grassland, the natural surrounding of Hohhot is particularly amazing.

Dazhao Temple, 'Wuliang Si (Infinite Temple)' in Chinese, is the oldest building and the largest temple in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. Locally, people usually refer to it as the Silver Buddha Temple (Yinfo Si) for it is here that there is a rare silver statue of Sakyamuni that measures 2.5-meter-high (8.2-foot-high).

The construction of the temple was completed in 1580 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and it is therefore the oldest Lamaist Buddhist temple in Inner Mongolia. There was a major reconstruction in 1640 although much of the original architectural style was retained.

Dazhao Temple owns its fame to a visit by the third Tibetan Dalai Lama in 1586, when he came to dedicate the Silver Buddha statue. As a consequence Hohhot became a religious center for people from all over Mongolia who came to worship at the temple. Another notable event in the temple's long history was a visit by Emperor Kangxi during the early part of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

The temple is now a well-known tourist attraction because of the impressive buildings, splendid statues, delicate frescos, musical instruments and fine collection of Buddhist scriptures. Of its abundant religious relics perhaps the most notable are the 'Three Marvelous Treasures', a title given to the Silver Buddha, the carved dragons on the huge golden pillars on either side of the statue and the murals commemorating the Emperor's visit.

Except for the main hall, the existing buildings within the temple complex are nearly all in the Han style. The main hall is a lamasery combining both Tibetan and Han styles of architecture. It has three parts. The front part is a two-story hall with an empty pavilion in the first floor; Jing Tang (the hall for chanting) and Fo Tang (the hall for worshiping Buddha) are central and rear sections. The perfectly preserved Silver Buddha lies in Fo Tang as it has for some four hundred years. In the splendid and solemn front of the hall, there is a pair of iron lions with their heads held high.

Gegentala Grassland is to the north of Hohhot, within the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It is the largest and a unique Mongolian scenic spot bearing the Mongolian ethical features of China. In Mongolian 'Gegentala' means a summer resort or the place of grazing in summer. On the grassland, the weather is cool and the natural scenery is fascinating. With thriving grass and abundant water, the green of the grassland reach out as far as your eyes can see. Colorful wild flowers and flocks of sheep that look like masses of cloud make the scene absolutely beautiful.

Besides the scenery of Gegentala Grassland, visitors can also taste traditional Mongolian food and take part in local activities. While listening to the melodious toasting songs and appreciating traditional Mongolian dances, visitors have the opportunity to taste kumiss, roasted whole sheep and shouba rou (boiled mutton eaten with hands). In traditional Mongolian clothes, visitors can take part in horse race, wrestling and archery which have been popular in Inner Mongolia for thousands of years. At night, people sit around bonfires singing and dancing to their hearts' content. After one day's travel, the Mongol ger, which means home in Mongolian, provides accommodation for the tourist. All these experiences give visitors the true feeling of what life is like on the vast grassland.

To enrich the tourist experience, modern facilities, such as night clubs and luxurious Mongol gers, have been established. Every July or August when flowers are in full bloom and sheep and horses are in their best condition, a tourism festival called Nadam Fair is held (Nadam Fair means entertainment and amusement in Mongolian. It is a traditional grand meeting and also an annual gala event for the Mongolian). This period is also a favorable season for travel.

Xilamuren Grassland is a typical altiplano prairie, with exuberant grass and vigorous wildflowers in summer and autumn. Situated 100 kilometers (62miles) from Hohhot, the grassland is also known as Zhaohe because of its Lama Temple-Puhui Temple. Behind Puhui Temple flows Xilamuren River, yellow river in Mongolian. Tourists can go across the bridge to Abinlebao Hill to admire the boundless prairie. Aobao, a stone pile, was originally a land mark in the boundless grassland. As the grassland was far away from mountains, people gradually began to regard aobao as a mountain where they could worship gods. Such worship ceremonies can last several days and are also used as an opportunity for young people to date. The famous folk song Date at aobao may be a product of this custom. It is also said that if you pick up a stone and walk around aobao three times in a clockwise direction, make a wish, and then put the stone back at aobao, your wish will be fulfilled.

Zhaojun Tomb is one of the eight major sights in Hohhot. It is located near Hei He River, 9km (5.59 miles) from Hohhot. Zhaojun was one of the four ancient belles. She was married to the King of Hun by the Han Emperor for political reasons. Zhaojun Tomb is also known as Green Tomb since story has it that every autumn the grass on the tomb remains lush while all the rest dies with the season. The scenery surrounding the tomb varies from morning to evening, adding a touch of mystery to its beauty.
  For those interested in history, the Inner Mongolia Museum would be a good place to visit. Located at East Xinhua Street, this museum covers an area of 5, 000 square meters (53, 821 square feet). The collection here has distinctive ethnic and local features. Cultural relics of Hun, Donghu, Wuhuan, Xianbei, Turki, Qidan, Nvzhen, Dangxiang and Mongolian nationalities have a large share in the total collection. Rare treasures include crown decorations of Hun kings, headgear of Xianbei, etc.Wanbu Huayanjing Pagoda ,Five-Pagoda Temple known as Wuta Si or JingangZuo Sheli Baota and Xilituzhao Palace the largest Lama temple in Hohhot are also among the most popular Buddhism resorts in Hohhot.strange fascination for you.   So this is a comfortable place for traveling and summer holidays.

Climate

The climate of Hohhot is continental with four distinct seasons and significant temperature spreads between day and night. The average annual temperature is 6 C (42.8 F). Winter in Hohhot is cold and long with an average temperature of -10 C (14 F). Leather coats and boots are necessary.

The best time to visit Hohhot is from April to October, while the best time to go to the grassland is from middle July to early September when the temperature is 15 C (59 F) to 25 C (77 F).

 Table of statistics for Hohhot climate for each month of the year