Prefecture-level city · Inner Mongolia

Hohhot 呼和浩特市

Hohhot, formerly known as Guihua or Kweisui (Guisui), is the capital and largest city of the northern Chinese autonomous region of Inner Mongolia, serving as the region's administrative, economic and cultural center.

Location of Inner Mongolia, the surrounding province-level areaView province guide

Get to know Hohhot

Xinhua Square in Hohhot (呼和浩特新华广场), viewed from a nearby hotel.
Xinhua Square in Hohhot (呼和浩特新华广场), viewed from a nearby hotel. Photograph date recorded by the source: 2006-09-02 15:29. · David Wilmot from Wimbledon, United Kingdom · CC BY-SA 2.0
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Administrative area
Prefecture-level city · 地级市
Part of
Inner Mongolia
Chinese name
呼和浩特市
Local areas
9 local areas

Area & population

Area in the source
17,186.10 km²
Population · 2020 census
3,446,100
Administrative seat
Xincheng District

Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.

The name of the city in Mongolian means "Blue City", although it is also wrongly referred to as the "Green City." The color blue in Mongol culture is associated with the sky, eternity and purity. In Chinese, the name can be translated as Qīng Chéng The name has also been variously romanized as Kokotan, Kokutan, Kuku-hoton, Huhohaot'e, Huhehot, Huhhot, Huhot, or Köke qota.

Culture

Due to its relatively diverse cultural make-up, and despite its characteristics as a mid-sized Chinese industrial city, the Hohhot street scene has no shortage of ethnic minority elements. Tongdao Road, a major street in the old town area, is decorated with Islamic and Mongol exterior designs on all its buildings. A series of government initiatives in recent years have emphasized Hohhot's identity with ethnic minority groups, especially in increasing Mongol-themed architecture around the city. By regulation, all street signs and public transportation announcements are in both Chinese and Mongolian.

Cuisine

Food specialty in the area is mostly focused on Mongol cuisine and dairy products. Commercially, Hohhot is known for being the base of the nationally renowned dairy giants Yili and Mengniu. The Mongol drink suutei tsai, has become a typical breakfast selection for anyone living in or visiting the city. The city also has rich traditions in the making of hot pot and shaomai, a type of traditional Chinese dumpling served as dim sum.

Explore Hohhot

Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.

Places to explore around Hohhot

Dazhao Temple · 大召寺Dazhao Temple · 大召寺

Dazhao Temple大召寺

Dazhao anchors the temple quarter of old Hohhot. Its main hall combines Chinese and Tibetan building forms and preserves a celebrated silver image of Shakyamuni. Golden dragons coil around the columns in front of the image…

Read the place guide →Inner Mongolia Museum · 内蒙古博物院Inner Mongolia Museum · 内蒙古博物院

Inner Mongolia Museum内蒙古博物院

Inner Mongolia Museum moved into its current building in June 2025, bringing regional archaeology, natural history and space exploration into a much larger exhibition setting. The reconstructed Chagannuoer dinosaur skeleton…

Read the place guide →Hohhot Five-Pagoda Temple (Wuta Si) · 五塔寺Hohhot Five-Pagoda Temple (Wuta Si) · 五塔寺

Five Pagoda Temple五塔寺

Five Pagoda Temple takes its name from the five small towers rising from a single diamond-throne base. Rows of individually varied Buddha images cover the masonry, making close observation as rewarding as the overall silhouette…

Read the place guide →The commemorative Zhaojun Tomb mound south of Hohhot, May 2024.The commemorative Zhaojun Tomb mound south of Hohhot, May 2024.

Zhaojun Tomb昭君墓

The large earthen mound south of Hohhot commemorates Wang Zhaojun, whose marriage to a Xiongnu ruler became a lasting theme in Chinese history and literature. Its identification as her actual burial place is uncertain. The…

Read the place guide →The main building of the Great Mosque of Hohhot, May 2015.The main building of the Great Mosque of Hohhot, May 2015.

Great Mosque of Hohhot呼和浩特清真大寺

Hohhot's Great Mosque brings Chinese courtyard architecture together with Islamic worship spaces. The prayer hall has a cluster of roof pavilions, while the multi-storey moon-observation tower rises above the surrounding…

Read the place guide →Xinhua Square in Hohhot (呼和浩特新华广场), viewed from a nearby hotel.Xinhua Square in Hohhot (呼和浩特新华广场), viewed from a nearby hotel. Photograph date recorded by the source: 2006-09-02 15:29.

Hohhot呼和浩特

Hohhot sits below the Daqing Mountains, but its most accessible historical story is concentrated in the old-city temple and trading streets. Dazhao's Buddhist images, Xilitu Temple's courtyards and Saishang Old Street's…

Read the place guide →Courtyard of Xilitu Temple in Hohhot.Courtyard of Xilitu Temple in Hohhot. Photograph date recorded by the source: 2024-05-14 10:04.

Xilitu Temple席力图召

Xilitu Temple stands among Hohhot's old-city monasteries but has its own sequence of shrines and landmarks. The older Buddha hall preserves the memory of its early foundation, while the larger main hall reflects later expansion…

Read the place guide →Saishang Old Street gateway in 2025 decorations · 塞上老街牌坊与 2025 年装饰Saishang Old Street gateway in 2025 decorations · 塞上老街牌坊与 2025 年装饰 Photograph date recorded by the source: 3 January 2025.

Saishang Old Street塞上老街

Saishang Old Street runs west from Dazhao through Hohhot's historic trading quarter. Brick-and-timber shopfronts recall the period when goods from the grasslands met tea, silk and other products from farther south. Today's shops…

Read the place guide →Jingyi Hall at Princess Kejing Mansion, Hohhot · 呼和浩特和硕恪靖公主府静宜堂Jingyi Hall at Princess Kejing Mansion, Hohhot · 呼和浩特和硕恪靖公主府静宜堂 Photograph date recorded by the source: 4 April 2014.

Princess Kejing Mansion Museum和硕恪靖公主府博物馆

Princess Kejing's mansion preserves a sequence of Qing residential courtyards in northern Hohhot. Its gates, Jingyi Hall, sleeping quarters and side rooms follow a symmetrical axis, making the organisation of a noble household…

Read the place guide →A colourfully painted timber gate with stone lions at the entrance to Hohhot City Museum, with a 公主府 plaque aboveThe ornate painted gate of the former Gulun Kejing Princess Mansion, now Hohhot City Museum · 呼和浩特博物馆（原和硕恪靖公主府）彩绘大门 Source-recorded photograph date: 2012-09-29 10:38:31.

Hohhot City Museum呼和浩特博物馆

Hohhot City Museum occupies the White Horse museum building on Xinhua Street, recognisable by the leaping horse above its roof. Its city-history exhibitions connect early stone tools with the later settlements of Fengzhou…

Read the place guide →The sail-like metal-clad exterior of the Inner Mongolia Art Museum with its Chinese name on the façadeThe angular modern building of the Inner Mongolia Art Museum, Hohhot · 呼和浩特内蒙古美术馆现代建筑外观 Source-recorded photograph date: 2025-01-03.

Inner Mongolia Art Museum内蒙古美术馆

Inner Mongolia Art Museum provides a view of the region through painting, prints and calligraphy. Its collection programme includes the oil paintings of Tuomusi and his students, as well as woodcut and other print traditions…

Read the place guide →Laoniuwan Yellow River Grand Canyon (老牛湾黄河大峡谷)Laoniuwan Yellow River Grand Canyon (老牛湾黄河大峡谷), Qingshuihe County. Photograph: "准格尔旗与清水河县 老牛湾黄河大峡谷".

Laoniuwan Yellow River Grand Canyon老牛湾黄河大峡谷

The Laoniuwan Yellow River Grand Canyon tourism area is in southwestern Qingshuihe County, where the river cuts through the plateau landscape.

Read the place guide →AI illustration of a general lake wetland scene; not a photograph or an exact view of this place.AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非该地点实拍）

Hasuhai Lake哈素海

Hasuhai is a shallow freshwater lake and reed wetland in Tumed Left Banner, where water gathers on the plains south of the Daqing Mountains.

Read the place guide →

Local life & food

Hohhot local specialties

呼和浩特市特色美食 · 13 specialties to discover

Hohhot beizi flatbread · 呼市焙子 · AI dish illustrationHohhot beizi flatbread 呼市焙子AI illustration · AI 示意图

A browned outer crust opens into a soft, layered center, with a fuller, more substantial bite than a delicate pastry. Freshness makes a noticeable difference to the flakiness.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Inner Mongolian-style lamb offal soup with chopped herbs, photographed at a Beijing restaurant.Lamb offal soup 羊杂碎汤

Each cut contributes a different chew, from soft to resilient, while the broth carries a pronounced lamb flavor. Chili and aromatics can make the bowl more assertive.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Photo: N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Photograph of Lamb shaomai (羊肉烧麦).Lamb shaomai 羊肉烧麦

Lamb brings richness and a distinctive aroma, balanced by scallion; the wrapper is delicate at the rim and slightly chewy below.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Photo: Xin jl · CC BY-SA 4.0
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EXIF orientation applied where present; resized proportionally to at most 640 px on the long edge and encoded as WebP. No crop, retouching, recoloring or subject changes.

Reference photo for Hohhot Shaomai Dumplings · 呼和浩特烧麦同类菜品参考照片Hohhot Shaomai Dumplings 呼和浩特烧麦Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片

Hohhot Shaomai Dumplings (呼和浩特烧麦) are dumplings of paper-thin wrapper, steamed or fried, around a filling of mutton and scallion, and a common breakfast in Hohhot (呼和浩特), Inner Mongolia.

Read the dish guide →
Photo: Missvain · CC BY 4.0
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Beizi Baked Flatbread (焙子) — dish photographBeizi Baked Flatbread 焙子

Beizi Baked Flatbread (焙子) is the oven bread that people in Hohhot (呼和浩特), Inner Mongolia, buy hot from the bakery for breakfast.

Read the dish guide →
Photo: Source photographer · License not provided
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Sheep Offal in Broth (羊杂碎) — dish photographSheep Offal in Broth 羊杂碎

Sheep Offal in Broth (羊杂碎) is a mildly spicy dish of Hohhot (呼和浩特), commonly made with sheep heart, lung, intestine and stomach. The offal is cleaned and simmered until cooked through and fragrant.

Read the dish guide →
Photo: Source photographer · License not provided
Photo adjustments

EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.

AI illustration: A bowl of broad rustic wheat or oat dough ribbons and short handmade pasta pieces.Wuchuan Naked-Oat Noodles 武川莜面AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）

Wuchuan Naked-Oat Noodles (武川莜面) are the noodles, rolls, dumplings and other foods made from naked-oat flour in Wuchuan County (武川县), Hohhot (呼和浩特), Inner Mongolia.

Read the dish guide →
Bowl of pale milky teaMongolian Milk Tea 蒙古奶茶

Mongolian Milk Tea (蒙古奶茶) in Hohhot (呼和浩特) can be a pot of tea and milk enriched with grains, dairy foods and dried meat.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Photo: user:takoradee · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo adjustments

Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.

All dish names · 全部菜名 (13)

More dishes from across Inner Mongolia are in the Inner Mongolia food guide.

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Counties & districts in Hohhot

9 areas belong directly to Hohhot.

9 areas

District

Xincheng District 新城区

Xincheng District (Mongolian: ᠰᠢᠨ ᠡ ᠬᠣᠲᠠ ᠲᠣᠭᠣᠷᠢᠭ; Chinese: 新城区) is one of four districts of the prefecture-level city of Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.

Explore the area →District

Huimin District 回民区

Huimin District (Mongolian: ᠬᠣᠳᠣᠩ ᠠᠷᠠᠳ ᠤᠨ ᠲᠣᠭᠣᠷᠢᠭ, Хотон ардын тойрог; Chinese: 回民区) is one of the four districts of the prefecture-level city of Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, North…

Explore the area →District

Yuquan District 玉泉区

Yuquan District (Mongolian: ᠢᠦᠢ ᠴᠢᠦᠸᠠᠨ ᠲᠤᠭᠤᠷᠢᠭ; Chinese: 玉泉区) is one of the four districts of the prefecture-level city of Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.

Explore the area →District

Saihan District 赛罕区

Saihan District (Mongolian: ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠬᠠᠨ ᠲᠣᠭᠣᠷᠢᠭ, Chinese: 赛罕区) is one of the four districts of the prefecture-level city of Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.

Explore the area →
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Plan your visit

Build your route

Dazhao Temple and Inner Mongolia Museum are about 10 km apart in a straight line. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.

Continue with Inner Mongolia →

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Sources & geographic information

Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.

Background text adapted from Hohhot — Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text has been shortened and reorganized; source revision 1369095482.

Photo: Dazhao Temple · 兜兜 · CC BY-SA 3.0. Wikimedia thumbnail; fitted to the ranking-card frame.

Photo: Inner Mongolia Museum · Mongol · CC BY-SA 3.0. Wikimedia thumbnail; fitted to the ranking-card frame.

Photo: Five Pagoda Temple · unatnight · CC BY-SA 3.0. Wikimedia thumbnail; fitted to the ranking-card frame.

Photo: Zhaojun Tomb · Thebrainchamber1 · Please credit this image as follows: Photo by https://thebrainchamber.com · CC BY-SA 4.0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.

Photo: Great Mosque of Hohhot · Popolon · CC BY-SA 4.0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.

Photo: Hohhot · David Wilmot from Wimbledon, United Kingdom · CC BY-SA 2.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.

Photo: Xilitu Temple · xiquinhosilva · CC BY 2.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.

Photo: Saishang Old Street · HCCB3947 · HCCB3947 — 呼和浩特塞上老街牌坊（2025蛇年装饰）.jpg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0. The exact downloaded source bytes are separately retained and hashed. Prepared JPEG is proportionally reduced to a maximum 720-pixel long edge; full frame retained, no subject alteration. Final website rendition: full frame retained, proportionally resized to at most 720 pixels and converted to WebP. No additional retouching or subject alteration. Card displays may crop the view.

Photo: Princess Kejing Mansion Museum · Mongol · Mongol — Gongzhufu1.JPG — CC BY-SA 3.0 · CC BY-SA 3.0. The exact downloaded source bytes are separately retained and hashed. Prepared JPEG is proportionally reduced to a maximum 720-pixel long edge; full frame retained, no subject alteration. Final website rendition: full frame retained, proportionally resized to at most 720 pixels and converted to WebP. No additional retouching or subject alteration. Card displays may crop the view.

Photo: Hohhot City Museum · Sunatnight · CC BY-SA 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.

Photo: Inner Mongolia Art Museum · HCCB3947 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.

Photo: Laoniuwan Yellow River Grand Canyon · Liuxingy · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; EXIF orientation normalized, proportionally resized to at most 800 pixels and converted to WebP. No generated pixels or subject changes. Cards may crop the display.

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