HOHHOT

'呼和浩特市
Huhehaote Shì'

Hohhot is highlighted on this map
'Administration Type'	Prefecture-level city
'City Seat'	Xincheng District ()
'Area' '- Total' '- Urban center'	17,000 km² 149 km²
'Population' '- Total' '- Urban center'	2,580,000 (2004) 1,520,000 (2004)
'GDP' '- Total' '- Per Capita'	RMB81.00 billion (2004) RMB12,500 (2004)
'Major Nationalities'	Han, Mongol, Manchu, Hui
'County-level divisions'	10
'Township-level divisions'	116
'CPC Committee Secretary'	Han Zhiran (韩志然)
'Mayor'	Tang Aijun (汤爱军)
'City Flower'	丁香
'City Tree'	油松
'Regional dialect'	Jin: Hushihua (呼市话)
'Area code'	471
'Postal Code'	010000
'License Plate Prefix'	蒙A

'Hohhot' (; Mongolian: Хөх хот), occasionally spelled 'Huhehot' or 'Huhhot', is the capital city of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China. The name "Hohhot" (Хөх хот) is Mongolian for "Blue City". The city dates back to the Ming Dynasty, and was chosen as Inner Mongolia's capital in 1947 over Baotou and replacing Zhangjiakou. Commonly referred to as "Hu-shi", Hohhot is one of the major tourist destinations of Inner Mongolia.

Contents

History

Geography and Climate

Subdivisions

Demographics

Transportation

Education

Artifacts

Points of interest

External links

History

Hohhot was founded by Altan Khan around 1580. Until 1954, Hohhot was referred to by the Chinese as 'Guisui' (歸綏 Guīsuī), or Kweisui, which is the acronym of the two districts of the city:

★ Guihua (歸化): Southeastern old section, business district, established as a town in the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty

★ Suiyuan (綏遠): Northeastern "New Town", government district. Established in the 17th century by the Manchus.
The two sections later became Guihua District (歸化縣) of the Qing Empire, renamed to Guisui County (歸綏縣) in 1913, and upgraded to a city in 1950.
It was the capital of the defunct Suiyuan Province. Under Ulanfu, the city was christened the capital of Inner Mongolia in 1947.

Geography and Climate

Located in the southern central part of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot is encircled by the Daqing (Great Green) Mountains to the north and the Hetao Plateau to the south. A popular destination for tourists during the summer months, Hohhot is often used as a place to escape the heat.

Subdivisions

Hohhot includes 4 counties, 4 districts, and a county-level banner; 20 sub-districts, and 96 townships.
Districts include:

★ Xincheng District

★ Huimin District

★ Yuquan District

★ Saihan District
Counties include:

★ Tokto County (托县)

★ Tolmud Left Banner (土默特左旗)

★ Wuchuan County (武川县)

★ Holingol County (和林格尔县)

★ Qingshuihe County (清水河县)

Demographics

11% Mongol, rest is mostly Han, with Korean, Hui, Manchu and other minorities. A significant amount of the city's population belongs to mixed ethnic origins, although many Mongolians, fluent in Mandarin, has kept their ancestral language alive.

Transportation

By railway, Hohhot lies on the Jingbao Railway from Beijing to Baotou. Direct service to Beijing is through Train 'K90', which leaves daily in the evening and arrives in the morning, being the fastest and most comfortable option. Various other slower trains stop at Hohhot destined for Beijing and southern areas, as well as Ulanhot, Xilinhot and Hailar. Hohhot Baita International Airport (IATA:HET) is about an hour from city centre and only half an hour drive from the Second Ring Road. It serves the city and surrounding areas, and has direct flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Wuhan, Hong Kong, with its international destination being Ulan Bator, Mongolia. By bus service, Hohhot is connected to more remote areas in Inner Mongolia, and there is hourly service to Baotou via the Hubao Expressway.

Education

Universities located in Hohhot include:

★ Inner Mongolia University

★ Inner Mongolia University of Agriculture

★ Normal University of Inner Mongolia

★ Inner Mongolia University of Technology

★ Inner Mongolia College of Medicine

★ Inner Mongolia College of Finance and Economics

★ Hohhot College of Education

★ Hohhot College of Police

Artifacts

There are over 50 sets of murals in southeastern Hohhot, including a "Horse-tending Image" (牧馬圖). Over 50 pre-modern Buddhist temples and towers.

Points of interest

★ 'Tomb of Wang Zhaojun': it is located to about nine kilometers to the south of the center of Hohhot. It is said to be the resting place of Wang Zhaojun, a commoner woman from the Chinese Han Empire who married a Xiongnu Chanyu. .

★ 'Temple of the Five Pagodas': of architecture very similar to that of Indian temples, the temple was constructed in 1732. In its walls there are more than 1,500 figures of Buddha.

★ 'Da Zhao Temple': Buddhist monastery constructed in 1579 and is oldest of the city.

★ 'Inner Mongolia Museum'

External links

★ Official government site

★ Images of Hohhot

★ 内蒙同乡会