Hohhot ("Green City" in Mongolian, "Green" refers to the fact that the city appears as an oasis on the vast Tumuochuan Plain that is a grassland desert.). The city is located in the northern China, is the capital of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It is a commercial and industrial center in a region of grasslands and major defense installations. Hohhot is located on the site of Kuku-khoto, which was a Mongol religious and trading center founded in the 9th century A.D. Hohhot serves as the regional hub for education and economic, scientific and technological development. The city is now a major textile center. Other industries in which great progress has been made include leather, sugar, machine making, steel, and animal-product processing.

Geographical Features
The city covers an area of 6,079 square kilometers around the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which is a high, inland plateau with elevations of about 1,000 m (about 3,000 ft). The city is bordering the Daping Mountains in the north and facing the Dahei River in the south, Hohhot is a beautiful city on the grasslands. The plateau is fringed with high mountains and river valleys. On the northern and western flanks the land falls toward the vast Gobi Desert. In the northeast, the surface is comprised of the Da Hinggan Ling (Greater Khingan Range) with elevations ranging from 1,200 to 2,000 m (3,900 to 7,000 ft). The Huang He (Yellow River) flows north from Ningxia Hui and forms a great loop that encloses the Ordos Desert (Mu Us Shamo). The Huang He is used for irrigation and there are numerous settlements and several cities along the rivers course through Inner Mongolia. Although the range and extremes of temperatures and precipitation vary, Inner Mongolias climate is typically dry and continental, with warm summers and very cold, dry winters. The average January temperature in the capital Hohhot, located near the center of the region, is -9Co (16Fo); the average August temperature is 24Co (75Fo). The annual precipitation is 368 mm (14 in), with a January minimum of 2 mm (0.1 in) and a June maximum of 108 mm (4 in). The mountain range in the east receives more precipitation, about 500 mm (about 20 in). In the west vegetation is sparse, while the eastern mountains are covered with coniferous forests and, at lower elevations, a few deciduous species. Grasslands predominate on the plateau, where they sustain large numbers of grazing animals such as sheep, goats, camels, and horses.

People
Hohhot is home to 2.4 million people from over 10 different minority nationality groups including the Hui, Mongolians, Manchu, Ewenki, Daur and more. The traditional religions such as Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism) and Islam are practiced, as well as Genghis Khan worship, alcoholism and apathy.

History
Hohhot was built 400 years ago by a Mongol clan led by a descendant of Genghis Kahn. The city got its name Hohhot since the time of the Ming dynasty four hundred years ago, though it did not become the capital of Inner Mongolia until 1952. Altan Khan established the first walled city (the Old City) in Hohhot and made it his capital as a symbol of Mongol power. At this same time he ordered two lamaseries, the current Dazhao and Xiaozhao temples, to be built. This establishment changed the region from a military focus to that of a social and economic center as well as a hub for Buddhism in Northern China. During the transition from the Ming to Qing dynasties (17th century), the Manchus defeated the Mongolians and took control of Hohhot. By 1736, the Manchus had built their own city in Hohhot which still remains as the "New City". The existence of two cities made Hohhot one of the "twin" cities that the Manchus often developed. Though commerce was done between the two cities during the day, the Mongols and Chinese resided in the "old city" and the Manchus lived in the "new city". Each city was even spiritually separated as each had its own "city god". Hohhot was politically integrated in 1914 but the two cities still remained separate, the "old City" with remnants of the past and the "new City" with a vision to the future. Since 1949, Hohhot has grown focusing on developing the area between the two cities. The walls around the "new city" were torn down in 1954 and the north gate of the "old city" was dismantled in 1960 to accommodate traffic.

Its worthwhile tracking down some of the famous Mongolian grasslands that lie within a hundred-kilometer radius of the city. These are Xilamuren (80km north of Hohhot), Gegentala (150km north) and Huitengxile (120km west). Most of the historic buildings of Hohhot are crowded into the interesting old southwestern part of the city. Chinese and Mongolian history mix in Hohhot, giving travelers a series of street-side surprises, from a fish skin robe exhibit to a one-time Mongolian neighborhood converted to entertainment halls and markets.

5 Pagoda Temple
The Five Pagoda Temple is one of the only remaining parts of the original Ci Deng Temple compound located in the Old City of Hohhot. It stands amongst the ruins of old courtyard homes, which are being torn down to make way for new apartment buildings and a new way of life. It is part of what was once known as "Temple City", having over 200 temples in this area. Tibetan Buddhism still has a stronghold in this city, especially amongst the Mongolian people. There are over 1500 images of Buddha engraved on this temple which draw both tourists and locals alike to come and pray. Inside the temple, there is an ancient map of the stars with Mongolian inscriptions. The temple has five pagodas built in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), 13 meters high and built of bricks. The five standing side by side on a base, the central pagoda has seven floors, while the rest on the four corners are all five floors. There are a thousand Buddhist sculptures in different shapes on the pagodas. An astronomical chart is carved on a wall behind the pagodas.

Xilituzhao Palace
Located at the northern end of Shitou lane, the palace was built in the Tibetan style in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Its walls are color-glazed and its roofs are decorated with gilded or bronze ornaments, looking shining and magnificent. A stone tablet erected on an order from Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) stands in front of the palace is the biggest of its kind preserved in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Zhaojun Tomb
It is located on the southern bank of the Dahei River in the suburbs and about 8km to the south of Hohhot. During the reign of Yuan Emperor of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.- 220 A.D.), a Hun prince asked for a princess of the Han imperial family. Zhaojun Wang was born in Zigui town south of the county during Western Han Dynasty. In the first year of Jing Ning (33B.C.), the chief Huhanye of the south Huns came to court to seek marriage. In order to keep peaceful and friendly relations between the two nationalities, Zhaojun volunteered to marry Xiongnu in the distant place. She was given the surname of Ning hu. The people built the tomb after she died, and it is a colossal burial mound 33 m in height, of packed earth. The platform and flight of stairs before the tomb are much similar to the Mausoleum of emperors Han in central plain.

Xilamuren Grassland
Xilamuren, meaning "yellow river" in Mongolian, is located 100 km north of Hohhot. Xilamuren Prairie, commonly known as Taihe, got its name for Puhui Temple, a Lama temple built in the Qing dynasty near Xilamuren River. Constructed in 1769 during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, Puhui Temple was initially a resort of the Sixth Panchen Lama of Xilitu of Hohhot. With engraved beams and pictured tiles, the temple appears quite splendid. With more than sixty yurts, the scenic spot is full of ethnic folk life. The Xilamuren River is flowing behind the PuHui temple.

Huitengxiler
Huitengxile, which means the cold plateau, lies in the south middle part of the Huitenxiler grassland in the Chahaer Right Wing Middle Banner of Ulanqub League. It is 135 km away from Hohhot City and 80 km away from JiNing City. With fertile land and plenty of rainfall, the grassland presents a vast flower sea in every May to September. There are eleven Mongolian yurts, which are used to host the guests to have dinner and entertainment. There are also many activities such as riding a horse, wrestling and archery etc. In the evening the inhabitants would often hold the campfire party, song and dance party.