City God TempleTAOIST SITE
(城隍庙; Chénghuáng Miào 37 Zhengfu Donglu; 政府东路37号 )
A rare vestige of old Gùyuán is this smoky and dusty, single-hall affair, with colourful banners flapping in the breeze outside and the City God enthroned within.
4Sleeping
Gùyuán has several decent and affordable hotels that accept foreigners located close to each other not far from Xiǎochī Night Market.
Liùpánshān BīnguǎnHOTEL$
(六盘山宾馆 %0954 202 1666; 35 Zhongshan Nanjie, 中山南街35号 s ¥158, d ¥146-166, ste ¥580; aW)
The rooms at this long-standing hotel are not the freshest, but they are decent and quiet, and staff, although not used to dealing with foreigners, are helpful. Wi-fi reception in some rooms is rather weak, but regular discounts make it cheap.
Délóng Business HotelHOTEL$$
(德龙商务酒店; Délóng Shāngwù Jiǔdiàn %0954 286 3918; 109 Wenhua Donglu; 文化东路109号 s ¥138, d ¥148-298, ste ¥388; aW)
Friendly, helpful staff and good-sized rooms with modern bathrooms make this the pick of the hotels along Wenhua Donglu, and puts you within walking distance of some good dining choices. Go through the drive-in alley to the reception block at the rear.
5Eating & Drinking
The streets empty around about 10pm in Gùyuán, but you can sink a beer till late and watch the locals coming and going at the Xiǎochī Night Market.
Xiǎochī Night MarketMARKET$
(小吃城; Xiǎochī Chéng 44 Wenhua Donglu; 文化东路44号 dishes from ¥11; hnoon-dawn)
This alley of food stalls runs till the break of dawn and specialises in delicious shāguō (砂锅; mini hotpot), as well as shāokǎo (barbecue) kebabs and noodles. Dishes are on display, so you can pick and choose. It’s down a covered arcade off Wenhua Donglu, directly opposite two big hospitals; look for No 44. Most places are Hui-run, but most serve beer too.
8Information
Make sure to bring cash; precious few ATMs in this part of the world accept foreign cards.
China PostPOST
(中国邮政; Zhōngguó Yóuzhèng 6 Zhongshan Nanjie; 中山南街6号 h8am-6pm)
Opposite the Liùpánshān Bīnguǎn.
8Getting There & Away
Air
Gùyuán Liùpánshān Airport (固原六盘山机场; Gùyuán Liùpánshān Jīchǎng ) is just under 9km from town, with flights to Yínchuān, Xī'ān, Chóngqìng and Shànghǎi.
Bus
The long-distance bus station (固原汽车站; Gùyuán Qìchēzhàn %0954 266 2905) is about 4km west of central Gùyuán’s hotels and museum. No buses connect with town; a taxi costs ¥7. There are frequent buses to Tóngxīn (¥26 to ¥33, 1½ hours), Xī’ān (¥120, six hours) and Yínchuān (¥70 to ¥90, four hours), as well as the following destinations:
ALánzhōu ¥100, nine hours, two daily (8am and 3.30pm)
ATiānshuǐ ¥85, seven hours, two daily (6.30am and 10.40am)
AZhōngwèi ¥70, 2½ hours, two daily (10.10am and 3pm)
Train
Gùyuán is on the Zhōngwèi–Bǎojī railway line. Sleeper tickets are near impossible to get and the majority of trains depart in the middle of the night. To get to the train station, on Guxi Lu in the northwest of town around 4km away from the Liùpánshān Bīnguǎn, take bus 1 or a taxi (¥5).
ALánzhōu Seat ¥43 to ¥75, hard sleeper ¥91, 9½ hours, two daily (11.03pm and 11.30pm)
AXī’ān Hard/soft sleeper ¥118/175, six to nine hours, four daily (12.51am, 3.08am, 3.56am and 11.58pm)
AYínchuān Seat/hard sleeper ¥54/108, six hours, six daily (1.25am to 10.34pm)
The Train Ticket Booking Office (火车售票处; Huǒchē Shòupiàochù 6 Zhongshan Nanjie; 中山南街6号 h8am-noon & 2-4pm) is at the post office on Zhongshan Nanjie.
8Getting Around
Bus 1 travels between the long-distance bus station and the train station.
Tóngxīn 同心
%0953 / Pop 400,000
South of Zhōngwèi, the Han Chinese–dominated cities of northern Níngxià give way to the Hui heartland. Journeying here takes you deep into rural Níngxià, through villages of mud-brick houses where the minarets of the numerous mosques tower over the endless cornfields.
Tóngxīn (同心) has a very strong Muslim feel. There are always students in residence at the mosque training to be imams and they will greet you with a salaam alaikum and show you around. Tóngxīn is also one of the few places in China outside of southern Xīnjiāng where you’ll see women in veils and covered from head to toe in black.
1Sights
Great MosqueMOSQUE
(清真大寺; Qīngzhēn Dà Sì ¥15)
Of all the mosques in Níngxià, the most hallowed is the Great Mosque. Dating back to the 14th century (although the present mosque was built in 1573 and then renovated in 1791), it was the only one of Níngxià’s 1000-odd mosques to avoid the ravages of the Cultural Revolution. As such, it’s a near-perfect example of Ming- and Qing-era temple architecture. Not until you get up close and notice the crescents that top the pagoda roofs does it become apparent that it’s a mosque.
4Sleeping & Eating
Most travellers visit Tóngxīn as a day trip from Zhōngwèi, but if you get stuck here, try the Huí Chūn Bīnguǎn (回春宾馆 %0953 803 1888; Yinping Xijie; 银平西街 d ¥138; a) opposite the bus station.
As a largely Muslim town, the opportunities for drinking and nightlife are limited in Tóngxīn. It's best to head to Zhōngwèi or Yínchuān for a knees-up.
8Getting There & Away
There are frequent express buses between Tóngxīn and Yínchuān (¥52, three hours), making a long day trip possible. The last bus back to Yínchuān leaves at 4pm. You could also visit from Zhōngwèi (¥26, 2½ hours), or stop for a couple of hours if you are heading further south to Gùyuán (¥26, two hours).
Inner Mongolia
Hohhot
Around Hohhot
Shangdu
Baotou
Genghis Khan Mausoleum
Hila'er
Enhe
Mnzhoul
Shi Wei
Bayanhot
Far West Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Pop 24.7 million
Why Go?
Mongolia. The name alone stirs up visions of nomadic herders, thundering horses and, of course, the warrior-emperor Genghis Khan.
Travellers heading north of the Great Wall might half expect to see the Mongol hordes galloping through the vast grasslands. The reality is rather different: 21st-century Inner Mongolia (内蒙古; Nèi Měnggǔ) is a wholly different place from Mongolia itself. The more-visited south of the province is industrialised, prosperous and very much within the realm of China’s modern economic miracle. Having said that, Inner Mongolia is more than nine times the size of England and the Mongolia of your dreams can be found off the tourist route, amid the shimmering sand dunes of the Badain Jaran Desert or the vast grasslands in the north. Some effort is required to reach these areas, but the spectacular scenery can make it an unforgettable journey.
When to Go
AMay Good weather and shoulder season equals good value.
AJul Hohhot and other regions host the annual Naadam festival.
AAug & Sep The best time to see the grasslands and ride Mongolia’s famed horses.
Best Places to Eat
A Grandma
A Xiānbáichéng Gǔtāng Hélè Miàn
A Nana's Cafe
A Jīnchuān Dòuhuāzhuāng
Best Places to Sleep
A Inner Mongolia Hotel
A Alxa Guesthouse
A Shangri-La
A Shangri-La Hotel
Inner Mongolia Highlights
1 Hǎilā’ěr Saddling up and going for a horse ride around the glorious Hūlúnbèi’ěr grasslands.
2 Hohhot Exploring the vibrantly colourful esoteric mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism at Dà Zhào, and gazing at t
he astonishing tantric statues on display at the beautiful Wǔtǎ Pagoda.
3 Shàngdū Wandering amid the ancient walls and contemplating the vanished wonders of Kublai Khan’s pleasure dome.
4 Ēnhé Finding some peace and sampling the local milk and produce at this laid-back farming town.
5 Badain Jaran Desert Mounting a camel and setting off in search of its massive dunes.
6 Shì Wěi Mingling with Chinese-speaking ethnic Russians at this unique village near the Russian border.
7 Bayanhot Discovering Alashan culture and the heritage of west Inner Mongolia at the trememdous Alashan Museum.
History
The nomadic tribes of the northern steppes have always been at odds with the agrarian Han Chinese, so much so that the Great Wall was built to keep them out. But it acted more like a speed bump than an actual barrier to the Mongol hordes.
Genghis Khan and grandson Kublai rumbled through in the 13th century, and after conquering southern China in 1279 Kublai Khan became the first emperor of the Yuan dynasty. But by the end of the 14th century the Mongol empire had collapsed, and the Mongols again became a collection of disorganised roaming tribes. It was not until the 18th century that the Qing emperors finally gained full control of the region.
A divide-and-conquer policy by the Qing led to the creation of an ‘Inner’ and ‘Outer’ Mongolia. The Qing opened up Inner Mongolia to Han farmers, and waves of migrants came to cultivate the land. Outer Mongolia was spared this policy and, with backing from the USSR, it gained full independence in 1921.
Now Mongolians make up only 15% of Inner Mongolia’s population. Most of the other 85% are Han Chinese, with a smattering of Hui, Manchu, Daur and Ewenki.
Inner Mongolia’s economy boomed in recent years thanks to extensive mining of both coal and rare earth minerals. That growth came at great environmental cost. The mines swallowed up pastureland at alarming rates and desertification has been the root cause of the dust storms that envelop Běijīng each spring. Only the far north of the region, where the economy is largely based on cattle ranching and tourism, has escaped heavy industrialisation.
Climate
Siberian blizzards and cold air currents rake the Mongolian plains from November to March. June to August brings pleasant temperatures, but the west is scorching hot during the day.
The best time to visit is between July and September, particularly to see the grasslands, which are green only in summer. Make sure you bring warm, windproof clothing, as even in midsummer it’s often windy, and evening temperatures can dip to 10°C or below.
Language
The Mongolian language is part of the Altaic linguistic family, which includes the Central Asian Turkic languages and the now defunct Manchurian. Although the vertical Mongolian script (written left to right) adorns street signs, almost everyone speaks standard Mandarin.
8Getting There & Away
Inner Mongolia borders Mongolia and Russia. There are border crossings at Erenhot (Mongolia) and Mǎnzhōulǐ (Russia), which are stopovers on the Trans-Mongolian and Trans-Manchurian Railways, respectively. To Mongolia, you can also catch a local train to Erenhot, cross the border and take another local train to Ulaanbaatar (with the appropriate visa). Possible air connections include Hohhot to Ulaanbaatar or Hǎilā’ěr to Ulaanbaatar and Choibalsan (eastern Mongolia). The far west of Inner Mongolia has opened up to air travel with the opening of airports at Éjìnà Qí, Āláshàn Yòuqí and Bayanhot, making transport to the region far easier.
Trains and long-distance buses reach Hohhot, Baōtóu and other large towns from neighbouring provinces.
8Getting Around
Inner Mongolia is vast and stupendously long from east to west, so you may find yourself flying at least once, especially when accessing the northeast of the province and the far west. Otherwise you'll be relying on a mixture of trains and long-distance buses. The far west of Inner Mongolia has no rail line, so you'll have to either fly or take long-distance buses.
Hohhot 呼和浩特
%0471 / Pop 2.86 million
Founded by Altan Khan in the 16th century, the good-looking capital of Inner Mongolia is an increasingly prosperous city. Hohhot (known in Mandarin as 呼和浩特; Hūhéhàotè) means ‘Blue City’ in Mongolian, a reference to the arching blue skies over the grasslands. Streets are attractively tree-lined (although the roads are traffic-snarled) and there are some truly astonishing Tibetan Buddhist temples in town – more than enough to keep you busy for a day or two before heading to the hinterlands. Helpfully, most of the sights congregate in the same part of town, making sightseeing a doddle. Note that the cumbersome name of the city is often colloquially shortened to 呼市 (Hūshì).
Hohhot
1Top Sights
1Dà ZhàoA3
2Wǔtǎ PagodaB3
1Sights
3Xílìtú ZhàoA3
4Sleeping
4Āndá GuesthouseD2
5Inner Mongolia HotelC2
6Jǐnjiāng InnB1
7Shangri-La HotelB3
5Eating
8Dàndàn TóngguōshuànD2
9GrandmaB1
10Nana's CafeD2
7Shopping
11Souvenir ShopsA3
1Sights
oDà ZhàoMONASTERY
(大召 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Danan Jie; 大南街 admission ¥35; h8am-7pm)
This spectacular Tibetan Buddhist temple is the oldest and largest temple in the city. Also called 'Immeasurable Temple' (无量寺; Wúliàng Sì) in Chinese, the complex was originally built in the 16th century and much enhanced in the following century. A very sacred place and a fascinating introduction to the mysterious ways of Tibetan Buddhism, Dà Zhào attracts pilgrims from across the land, who prostrate themselves fully in prayer on boards in front of the magnificent altars through the temple.
Look for the amazing-looking and blue-faced Medicine Buddha (药师佛; Yàoshī Fó) seated in his namesake hall and garbed in the most astonishing fashion. Also seek out the many-armed golden deity in the esoteric Mìzōng Hùfǎ Hall (密宗护法殿; Mìzōng Hùfǎ Diàn), the central tantric deity within the Shènglè Jīngāng Hall (胜乐金刚殿; Shènglè Jīngāng Diàn) and the huge jade Buddha residing in the Jade Buddha Hall (玉佛殿; Yùfó Diàn). The temple is also home to a 2.55m silver effigy of Sakyamuni, contained within the Buddha Hall (佛堂; Fótáng). In other halls, pilgrims walk in clockwise fashion around altars, twirling prayer wheels, lost in prayer.
The plaza south of the temple is popular with kite-flyers and is great for people-watching. There's an attractive decorative archway and a vast statue of Altan Khan (1507–82), the Mongol founder of the city and ruler who began building the temple.
oWǔtǎ PagodaPAGODA
(五塔寺; Wǔtǎ Sì MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Wutasi Houjie; 五塔寺后街 admission ¥35; h8am-6pm)
Rising up at the rear of the Five Pagoda Temple, this striking, Indian-influenced, five-tiered pagoda was completed in 1732. Its main claim to fame is the Mongolian star chart around the back (protected behind glass), though the engraving of the Diamond Sutra (in Sanskrit, Tibetan and Mongolian), extending around the entire base of the structure, is in much better condition. Another fascinating aspect of the temple is the 'Temple Culture Exhibition of Hohhot' Hall, containing a mesmerising array of tantric statues.
Guanyin TempleBUDDHIST SITE
(观音寺; Guānyīn Sì E'erduosi Dajie; 鄂尔多斯大街 )F
Its colossal halls capped in saffron tiles visible from a huge distance away, this massive temple is dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin. The colossal statue of the 1000-arm Guanyin within the Yuántōng Treasure Hall Bǎodiàn (圆通宝殿; Yuántōng Bǎodiàn ) is simply staggering. The head of the three-faced statue wears a tower of several heads on top. Within the Great Treasure Hall are vast seated effigies of the past, present and future Buddhas as well as the 18 luóhàn (arhats).
Xílìtú ZhàoMONASTERY
(席力图召 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Da'nan Jie; 大南街 ad
mission ¥30; h7.30am-6.30pm)
Across from the Dà Zhào temple is this simple, peaceful monastery, which is also known as Xiǎo Zhào or Yánshòu Temple (延寿寺; Yánshòu Sì). The temple is the official residence of Hohhot's 11th Living Buddha (he actually works elsewhere). Monks chant at 9am and 3pm.
Inner Mongolia MuseumMUSEUM
(内蒙古博物院; Nèi Měnggǔ Bówùyuàn Xinhua Dongdajie; 新华东大街 h9am-5.30pm Tue-Sun)F
This massive museum in the northeastern section of town has a distinctive sloping roof supposed to resemble the vast steppes of Mongolia. It’s one of the better provincial museums, with a focus on Mongolian culture, from an excellent dinosaur exhibition to Genghis Khan and the space age (English captions are less than space age, though). Take bus 3 from Xinhua Dajie or pay ¥15 for a taxi.
zFestivals & Events
NaadamCULTURAL, SPORTS
The week-long summer festival known as Naadam (literally meaning 'Games' in Mongolian) is the most famous knees-up in Inner Mongolia, featuring traditional Mongolian sports such as archery, wrestling and horse racing. The competitions and festivities takes place at Gegentala and at various grassland areas in early July when the grass is green. Book local tours at your accommodation.
Lonely Planet China Page 182