Hohhot is the transliteration of Mongol, meaning green city in Chinese, so Hohhot has a beautiful name of Green City. April of 2014, I traveled to Hohhot with my family of 3 people in all for 4 days, though it is short, we had great fun there.
♦ Day 1
Taking night train to Hohhot.
♦ Day 2
► Morning: Getting out of Hohhot Train Station we were taking bus no.24 to old city north gate and then visiting to the Grand Mosque, walking in Islamic Custom Street, Dazhao Temple, Saishang Old Street and then having lunch.
Grand Mosque
Grand Mosque that has the most national characteristics and full-bodied Islamic style located at the southern tip of Hohhot Hui district of east side of south road, is the earliest and largest mosque of Hohhot eight original mosque buildings, therefore its name is Grand Mosque.
Islamic Custom Street
Daozhao Temple
Dazhao called Yikezhao in Mongolian, Chinese meaning is "temple”. It is located in Hohhot Yuquan district, is the earliest gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism temple in Inner Mongolia area, and now is the key cultural relic’s protection unit of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Dazhao temple is a typical pattern of Sino-Tibetan combination, and there are gate, Pailou (decorated archway),side halls of temple in the east and west built along the central axis, covers an area of 30000 square meters.
► Afternoon: Xilituzhao Monastery—walking to Xingsheng Street—Xiaozhaotou lane—Five Pagodas Temple (enter from the back door)—taking bus no.1 in the Wuzhou Women Hospital—go to pick up luggage in the train station—taking bus no.24 to old city north gate to get accommodation
Xilituzhao Monastery
Xilituzhao is Mongolian, meaning "chief" or "throne" and meaning “longevity temple” in Chinese. The monastery named after the teacher of the fourth Dalai the first Xilitu living Buddha who long chaired the monastery. It was built in the Ming dynasty Longqing and Wanli period (AD 1567-1567). The monastery is located in the old city of Yuquan district, on the northern end of the Stone lane, sitting north to south.
Five Pagodas Temple
Five Pagodas Temple named for five towers temple, it is because there is a beautiful and chic five pagodas, it is a national key cultural relics protection units. Five Pagodas Temple with beautiful modeling and unique architectural style is unique among numerous pagodas temple, and is a shining pearl in the beautiful green city.
♦ Day 3
► Morning: taking bus no.6 to Mogolian Custom Garden and then taking bus no.6 to South Tea House to have lunch.
Mongolian Custom Garden
Mongolian Custom Garden located in the southern suburbs of the capital Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The garden is the large-scale tourism scenic spot of Mongolian culture, customs and grassland (restoration) zoology. The sceneries inside the garden include Mongolia Avenue, khan palace hotel, Genghis Khan square, Genghis Khan Mausoleum, horse culture museum, the camp of Mongolia great khan, Mongolia tribe, race course, etc.
► Afternoon: taking bus no.27 in South Tea House—Inner Mongolian Museum—taking bus no.1 or no.2 to old city north gate to our hotel.
Inner Mongolian Museum
Inner Mongolian Museum combines the strong modern elements, geographical characteristics and minority’s characteristics, it is an “encyclopedia” that concentrates the billions years of zoology variance history in northern China and prairie civilization development, and also is the symbol of Inner Mongolian social developmental level and level of civilization.
♦ Day 4
Taking bus no.1 or no.2 in old city north gate—General Government Office—Bus no.1 or no.2 back to old city north gate to take out our luggage—taking bus no.24 to train station
Suiyuan General Government Office
General Government Office located in Hohhot new city which is the office and residence of the highest officer of the frontier Suiyuan General in the Qing dynasty. In the Qing dynasty Qianlong period second year (1737) it was built together with Suiyuan city, and was completed in that very year. It is the only existed senior provincial military attache in China, is a national key cultural relics protection units.
♦ About Entrance Ticket
Dazhao Temple: 35 RMB
Xilituzhao Monastery: 30 RMB
Five Pagodas Temple: 35 RMB
General Government Office: 25 RMB, during holidays and festivals cost 18 RMB
Grand Mosque: free of charge
Mongolian Custom Garden: free of charge, the Horse Culture Museum inside the Garden cost 10 RMB
Inner Mongolian Museum: free of charge (closed on Monday)
All the attractions above, except Mongolian Custom Garden, recommending arriving before 9 o’clock, and other attractions in the downtown you can arrive after 9 o’clock in order to waiting too long in the entrance.
♦ About Accommodation
For convenience, we stayed in the Rishengchang chain hotels in the opposite of the Grand Mosque of Islamic Custom Street, 120 RMB a day for three people. The condition is ordinary but due to its location, it is very convenience. Tourists who require much on hotels can chose other hotels in the Islamic Custom Street where there are many hotels.
♦ About Foods
The foods in Hohhot are basically northern diet. Its diet culture absorbed the methods of working and eating of Mongol nationality and Hui nationality so it is full of national characteristics. There are many local flavor snacks. The Youmian noodle and Shaomai here is special. Here is the paradise of people who like to eat beef and mutton because you glut yourself with delicacies with reasonable price. The vegetables and fruits are quite expensive because it is situated in the inland, the climate is dry here, and the seafood is very rare.