Hohhot travel guide

Hohhot Baita Airport is located 15 km northeast of the city centre. Multiple routes connect it with major cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Chifeng and Ulanhot.

Hohhot lies on the Jingbao Railway and has passenger train services to dozens of cities, including Beijing, Xi'an, Hulunbuir, Lanzhou and Yinchuan. Hohhot also has international trains to Ulaanbaatar and Moscow. A high-speed rail line now links Hohhot with Beijing, with the fastest journey taking just 2 hours.

First Month: known in Mongolian as Chagan Sar (White Month, or the first lunar month), meaning New Year or Spring Festival.

Ovoo Worship: “ovoo” is a Mongolian word meaning heap or mound. Ovoos are usually built on high mountains or hills as solid, cone-shaped towers of stacked stones. Ovoo worship is one of the major sacred rituals of the Mongolian people, and large-scale ceremonies are held on the 13th day of the fifth lunar month each year.

The Daur people live in places backed by mountains and near water. Their homes and courtyards are neatly built and usually enclosed by fences woven from red willow, birch poles or cornstalks. The roof ridges project outward, forming a “介” shape, which is why these are called “jie-shaped houses.” Following the Daur tradition of valuing the west, the west room serves as the main living space, with connected kangs (heated platforms) along its south, west and north sides, forming what is known as the “manzi kang.”

1. “Good food doesn't come cheap”: a roast whole lamb, not even especially large, is sometimes quoted at ¥1000.

2. Lamb offal holds a special place among the local snacks.

Hohhot currently has two metro lines in operation. Line 1 connects Hohhot East Railway Station with the airport, and Line 2 reaches Hohhot Railway Station.

The Hohhot–Baotou Expressway serves the area. Every county in the municipality is now connected by road, and roads have also reached previously isolated farming and pastoral areas and border regions. Dozens of long-distance coaches depart daily for nearby towns. Several passenger bus routes have also been opened to border provinces and regions in Mongolia and Russia.

Multiple bus routes radiate from the city centre to all parts of the urban area. Thousands of taxis operate around the clock throughout the city's streets and lanes. The flag fall is ¥8 for the first 2 km, then ¥1.5 per km. Hohhot is compact, and most parts of the city can be reached for ¥15. Metro Lines 1 and 2 are now open.

Hohhot's food scene is wild and distinctive, featuring pheasant, wild vegetables, wild mushrooms and a dizzying array of game dishes that are all delicious.

Signature dishes include whole roast lamb, hand-held mutton (shou ba rou), roast lamb leg, fried milk grains (chaomi), milk skin (naiPIzi), milk tofu (naidoufu), mare's milk wine and Zhaojun wine, among others. Hand-held mutton and whole roast lamb are the standouts: a whole plump lamb is roasted over blazing flames until the skin turns crisp and golden, sizzling as fragrant sesame oil drips down, its aroma irresistible.

Hohhot offers a wide range of accommodation. Besides star-rated hotels, there are many guesthouses and budget inns with basic facilities and reasonable hygiene standards at low prices, making them good value. You can also stay with herding families in the suburbs or sleep in a Mongolian yurt.

As the regional capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hohhot brings together local specialty products from across Inner Mongolia.

For local specialties, the best place to shop is the street-side markets, including the city's largest farm and produce market, where you can find nearly every kind of regional product at good value. Visitors looking for Mongolian-themed souvenirs can browse the Inner Mongolia Cultural Relics Store on Xilin North Road.

“Shandan” brand jacquard blankets and yarn, Ordos cashmere sweaters, Mongolian knives, Mongolian carpets, fat choy (black moss), kou mo mushrooms, huhuer (snuff bottles), Balin bloodstone, and “Shou” brand oat flakes (Yinshan oats).