'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.
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.
Genghis Khan Drive, on the North side of the city
The Hohhot Railway Station
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
Temple of the Five Pagodas in Hohhot
★ '
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
★
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