Hohhot Activities: Visiting Grasslands, Naadam Festivals, Yurts, Foods, Museums...

• Recommended Grasslands to Visit: Xilamuren Grassland; Huitengxile Grassland; Gegentala Grassland, Hadad Highland Pasture...

Speaking of Inner Mongolia, the first picture that comes to people's minds must be the boundless grasslands. The sky is clear and high; clouds are shading the endless green blankets; grass tips are shining with golden light and swaying in the wind; stout cattle and sheep are bent down to eat without a break and herdsmen are galloping their vigorous Mongolian horses on the vast grassland. There are many grasslands with splendid scenery mentioned above around Hohhot and each of them also has their own characteristics and highlights. For example, Xilamuren Grassland, the most popular and the nearest grasslands to Hohhot with well-established facilities and a number of grassland yurt resorts; The largest and unique Mongolia scenic spot which bears the Mongolia ethnic features of China is the Gegentala Grassland. It is also praised as “a summer resort” on the grasslands. Compared with the grassland here, perhaps the imposing scene of the yurt phalanx is more attractive; Pay a visit to Huitengxile Grassland, you can see the white windmill array, the largest wind power plant in Asia, spreading out more than ten kilometers on the grassland. It is also one of the world's three largest alpine grasslands and the closest grassland to Beijing in Inner Mongolia. Check more about Top 10 Grasslands in Inner Mongolia >>

Recommended Hohhot Grassland Tours: ☛ 6 Days Inner Mongolia Bests Discovery Tour | ☛ 2 Days Huitengxile Grassland Tour from Beijing by Bullet Train

• Recommended Places to Visit: Inner Mongolia Museum, Zhaojun Tomb, Government Office of Suiyuan General in the Qing Dynasty...

As one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization, Hohhot has a long history and splendid culture. It is the cradle of “shooting on horse in Hu dress (胡服骑射)”, the destination of Wang Zhaojun, the “land of dragon rising” of Tuoba Xianbei Minority and also the place of business exchange in Mongolia in ancient times. Hohhot culture is a typical combination of nomadic culture and farming culture, coupled with the influence of modern civilization, the cultural and historical relics here all reflect the unique characteristics of the earthiness, bold, unrestrained and grand of the northern nations.

The Inner Mongolia Museum (内蒙古博物馆), the Zhaojun Museum (昭君博物馆) and Government Office of Suiyuan General in the Qing Dynasty (绥远将军衙署), etc. are the best places to learn the history and culture of Hohhot.

Recommended Hohhot Tours with Inner Mongolia Museum Visit: ☛ 3 Days Best Hohhot Grassland Tour with Huitengxile Landscape

• Recommended Places to Visit: Dazhao, Five-Pagoda Temple, Xilituzhao...

In the distant grasslands and deserts of Inner Mongolia, spreading a Zhaomiao culture (lamasery culture) with religious and architectural characteristics. After looting, most of the Buddhist temples lost their former glory, and pale in comparison with the temples in Tibet, but carrying the ancient Tibetan Buddhism belief of the Mongolian people. Hohhot becomes the only national historical and cultural city in Inner Mongolia, the Zhaomiao culture (召庙文化) is indispensable. There are overall seven large temples, eight small temples, and seventy-two mini temples in Hohhot, therefore the name of "Zhaocheng (召城)" is not undeserved.

Five-Pagoda Temple (五塔寺) and Dazhao Temple (大召) are the two most famous Zhaomiao in Hohhot. Besides, there are also many worth visiting temples in Hohhot, such as Xilituzhao, which is just across the road from Dazhao; the Temple of Wealth (财神庙) and the Temple of Guanyin (观音庙) in the Antique Block in front of Dazhao; Wusutuzhao (乌素图召) in the northwest corner of downtown; and the Baolhan Pagoda (宝尔汗佛塔), opposite the Guanyin Temple, has become a symbol of the new Buddhist culture in Zhaocheng.

Recommended Hohhot Tours with Zhaomiao Visit: ☛ 5 Days Classic Inner Mongolia Tour

• Type: Traditional Festival; Minority Festival

• Event Holding Time: The Naadam Festival takes place in July or August; The Aobao Festival is held on May 12th & 13th in the lunar calendar. Contact us to get the real-time information >>

• Activities & Events: Horse Racing; Archery on Horseback; Furious Mongolian Wrestling; Traditional Mongolian Costume; Traditional Worship Event...

Inner Mongolia Naadam Festival (那达慕大会) is the highlight of all the festivals and events that the region holds. It takes place in July or August annually. The word “Naadam” means games or competitions in Mongolian. The festival’s full name is Eriyn Gurvan Naadam, which translates as “three games of men” - horse racing, archery, and wrestling. Women also participate in archery and girls in horse-racing games, but not in Mongolian wrestling. Many places are held at the Naadam Festivals, and the recommended places are Gegentala Grassland, Xilamuren Grassland and Huitengxile Grassland, etc. Learn more about Naadam Festival >>

The Aobao Festival (敖包节) is a traditional worshipping festival in Inner Mongolia. “Aobao” means heaps of stones. Aobao worship involves praying for good weather and safety for both humans and livestock. Aobao is mainly located on top of mountains, and is a pile of stones or clods, with colorful strips or paper hung on top. During the festival, people from far and wide gather at Aobao to take part in worship activities. The participants start adding stones to the Aobao one after another. When it is finished, other activities such as wrestling, singing and dancing are provided.

Recommended Naadam Festival Tour: ☛ 4 Days Inner Mongolia Naadam Festival Tour (Hulunbuir)

• Type: Entertainment, Festival Event

Riding a horse is something you have to experience when you visit Inner Mongolia. It can be experienced in almost all grasslands around Hohhot. But if you are looking for a long-time and great horse riding experiences, you can avoid the scenic spots. There are some independent horse farms dot on the grasslands. While the riding or horse renting price might be higher, the horses are more robust and can gallop in the vast grassland. Moreover, there are also some horse ranches or clubs offering horseback riding, such as the Inner Mongolia Racecourse, etc. Check more about Horse Riding in Inner Mongolia >>

Travelers can climb to the top of the base to get a look at the pagoda themselves, or head to the back of the building where a carved screen includes a rare Mongolia astronomical map which illustrates the zodiac and positions of numbers of stars.

Horsing racing is the most exciting game at the Naadam Festival, and anyone can apply to take part in the competition regardless of his or her age. But in most cases, riders are boys and girls who are 6-13 years old. It will be divided into several age groups: two, three, four and five-year-old horses, adult horses and stallions. The competitions are not held on special tracks, but across the steppe. The distance varies according to the ages of the horses. It can be between 15 and 35 km. After the competitions end, awards will be given to the fastest ten horses, accompanied by songs about the horses.

Recommended Hohhot Tour with Horse Riding: ☛ 5 Days Classic Inner Mongolia Tour | ☛ 4 Days In-depth Hohhot Xilamuren Tour with Grassland Activities

• Type: Way of Living

The Mongolian Yurt, called “a vaulted tent” or “felt tent” in ancient times, is a domed pealed tent. And the Mongolian people have their own social customs and etiquettes that are especially imbued with characteristics of honesty, courtesy and hospitality. When a guest enters a yurt, the housewife will present him or her with a bowl of milk tea and with both hands and presents various kinds of dairy products on the table. If you want to fully experience the local customs of Inner Mongolia, you’d better spend a night in the yurts. More details about Mongolian Yurts >>

Recommended Hohhot Tour with Mongolian Yurt Overnight Experience: ☛ 4 Days In-depth Hohhot Xilamuren Tour with Grassland Activities

• Type: Food, Local Dishes

The cuisine in Inner Mongolia is special and well received by most visitors. Do you want to give it a try? Let’s know some first. The recommended specialties include Kumiss, Mongolian Roast Lamb, Mongolia Milk Tea, Finger Mutton, Butter, Shaomai, Buckwheat Flour, etc. Check the Top 10 Food and Cuisines in Inner Mongolia >>

Roast Lamb: It is a traditional Mongolian food, which is specially prepared when a dinner party is held in honor of the guests. The roast lamb, which looks golden red and tastes quite delicious, is served on a square wooden dish.

Kumiss: It is cool, refreshing and with lower alcohol. Summer is the best time to drink Kumiss, the aromatic waves everywhere.

Milk Tea: Mongolians are kind, hospitable people, who like to treat guests to a good table, with a plate of rice in the middle, and butter, milk curd, red sugar and pastries. To wash this all down, a cup of steaming hot milk tea is the preferred accompaniment.

Recommended Hohhot Tour with Local Traditional Cuisines: ☛ 5 Days Classic Inner Mongolia Tour

• Address: No.8, Jinshan 4th Road, Tumed Left Banner, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia (内蒙古自治区呼和浩特市土默特左旗金山开发区金四道8号 )

As a large grassland province, Inner Mongolia has sweet milk and all kinds of delicious dairy products. If that's what you're interested in, and if you're looking for something different, why not take a half-day tour to the Yili Liquid Milk Production Base? By visiting the factory, you can intuitively see the whole process of liquid milk from high temperature sterilizing, filling, packaging to warehousing.

As one of the liquid milk production bases with the highest degree of automation and the largest production scale in Asia, almost the whole process of Yili milk processing is completed by machines. Automated STV driverless cars shuttling, strong robotic arms brandishing, and those "robust" production equipment will make you can not help but marvel at the advanced milk production technology here.

• Type: Sports, Festival Event

Archery on horseback is a traditional sports activity of the Mongols. All people could take part in the competition. Each participant shall get his or her own bow, 9 arrows and horse ready before the competition. The 9 arrows will be shot in three rounds. The archer who has shot the most arrows on targets will be the winner. When you attend the festival and watch the archery competition, you can know how skillful the Mongolians on horseback are.

Mongolian style wrestling is another main event in Naadam. People on the grasslands call Mongolian wrestling - "Bok (博克)". The game of Mongolian wrestling is simple and solemn. According to the dress code of the event, the contestants wear tight half-sleeved vests made of cowhide or canvas, aprons made of red, blue and yellow silk at the waist, fat trousers made of 32 or 16 feet of calico, and Mongolian boots or riding boots. The game starts with the melodious and passionate "Uzah" hymns. Competition rules are simple and clear. In Mongolian wrestling, there are no weight classes and no time limit. Competitors are deemed to have lost if they land on any part above the knee.