Traveling to Hohhot During The Winter

Another Chinese Mega-City

After hopping on the 10-hour train from Beijing, your mind will race with images of vast plains and endless blue skies. While you may be dreaming of the steppes of China’s Inner-Mongolia, the capital city of Hohhot (呼和浩特) offers the same neon lights and glistening buildings of any other city in China.

From the second you step off the train, you would almost think you have never left the sprawling metropolis of Beijing. The only distinguishing indicator that you are in Hohhot is the freezing cold which tightens around your neck.

Wanting to travel out to the desert of Inner-Mongolia? Read more on the Ordos Desert here!

Traveling to Hohhot in the Winter

Traveling to Hohhot during the winter is pretty much as off the beaten path as you can go. Most travelers save Inner-Mongolia for the spring or summer to coincide with the Nadam Festival. Most travelers will at least hold out for the rolling grasslands to turn that picturesque emerald green color.

Despite the unrelenting cold and lack of greenery in the countryside, Inner-Mongolia and it’s capital of Hohhot still offer the same amount of spirituality and architectural beauty in the barren winter months as the spring. You will just have to make sure you have a large enough coat to protect you from the endless onslaught of bone piercing wind which blows through Hohhot.

Needing a break from the city? Check out the Great Wall of China in Inner-Mongolia!

China’s Own Mongolia

Although under the dominion of the Mongol Khans, Hohhot and the surrounding areas have always had close ties with the Chinese Empire. While the Mongols from the north spent much of their time raiding their Han neighbors to the south. Hohhot established from the very beginning its desire to be a vassal of the emperor. The Chinese Empire even went as far to rename Hohhot Guihua (归化) meaning return to civilization.

Today, the only sense of traditional Mongolia architecture and culture can be found in the few temples massed in the center of Hohhot. Like most massive Chinese cities, Hohhot has been ground down to dust and rebuilt in a typical grid-like pattern. While this may do wonders for urban planning and transportation, much of the traditional Mongolia essence has been left behind for the sake of modernization and progress.

Thinking about traveling to Mongolia during the winter? You can find my full itinerary here!

Finding The Old City of Hohhot

The first stones laid in Hohhot were that of a temple. Da Zhao Temple is not only the oldest and largest temple in all of Hohhot. But the entire Inner-Mongolian city grew up around the temple walls. As the center of Hohhot, it goes without saying that this complex is the heart and soul of the city.

Most of the other temples of Hohhot such as the Five Pagoda Temple and the Xilitu Zhao Temple are found within walking distance of Da Zhao Temple.

For those who are not well versed in local history or have spent a fair amount of time in East Asia, the temples of Hohhot are nothing to write home about. The only structure which is in any way unique is the Five Pagoda Temple. The rest of the temples of Hohhot resemble much of the same thing you can find in the likes of Beijing or any other city in China.

Scared about traveling to Mongolia during the winter? You can read about my experience here!

A Spiritual Center

One of the reasons for Hohhot’s growth and importance over the centuries is its establishment as a spiritual center for Buddhists, especially Mongolians. Dazhao Temple is home to its own 10 foot  Sakyamuni Buddha statue. The sculpture was even blessed by the 3erd Dalai Lama. Since then devotees from across the region have made pilgrimages to Hohhot and Dazhao Temple to pay their respects.

Outside of the few Lama temples which make of the heart of Hohhot’s old town, Inn-Mongolia’s capital is a Han Chinese city. With a population of only 200,000 Mongolians compared to 2 million Han, the lines between mainstream and traditional Mongolian culture is blurred. While you can still find Mongolian script on storefronts, most of the local population have long been assimilated into Han culture.

Wanting to head further west? Read about crossing the border from China into Kyrgyzstan here!

The Muslims At The Gates

One of the places that stands out apart from the rest of the cookie-cutter storefronts and classical Chinese temples is the Hui District of Hohhot. Just as Hohhot attracted droves of Buddhists to its hold over the centuries, Hui People have also staked their claim to a part of the city.

Serving as a middle ground between both the Far East and Central Asia, nothing better reflects the merging of two cultures like the Grand Mosque of Hohhot. From the days of the bygone Silk Road, Muslim traders have built the bridge linking Europe and China. It was only a matter of time that religion was exchanged along with the exotic spices and fine linens.

To this day, the Hui people live in one of the liveliest markets of all of Hohhot. While Dazhao Temple and the surrounding temples are home to the sprawling tourist market, the Hui District offers a more candid look at local culture.

Xinjiang is home to the largest Muslim population in China. Read more about traveling to Urumqi here!

Finding the Soul of Hohhot

Like many places around the world, to truly immerse yourself in the beauty of Inner-Mongolia, you will have to escape the concrete cage which is Hohhot. The city is nothing more than a jumping-off point to explore the grasslands, deserts, and ruins sprinkled across the romantic steppes.

While Hohhot offers its own temples and the Saishang Market (塞上老街), you may be disappointed to find that the classical architecture and souvenir stalls are nearly the exact same you would find in any other city in China.

Why then should you visit Hohhot? Hohhot is the perfect place to base yourself out of while exploring the vast nature which makes up Inner-Mongolia. When you aren’t traveling throughout the Mongolian wilderness, you may discover the unseen beauty of Hohhot, but you will have to venture off of the beaten path.