• Inner Mongolia Introduction

  • Neimenggu is short for Inner Mongolia Autonomous region. It lies in the northern border in China, has an area of 1.1 million square kilometers, and with a population of 1.8 million. 

    The main topography here is plateau. The elevation is about 1,000 meter. The plateaus are not precipitous and they can be continuous more than 2,400 kilometers from the east to west. And in the east, there are some wide plains. But in the west, there is gobi and deserts, and the areas of them are wide. In the middle, there is the Yin Mountain. To the south of the Yin Mountain, because of the lash of the Yellow River and its tributaries, there is Hetao Plain. It has a continental climate in the temperate zone. From the northeast to the southwest, the climate is from humid to dry, including four areas. Inner Mongolia abounds in mineral resources. The reserves of mite, niobium, sand, vermiculite, agate, natural soda, pyrite, silica sand and gypsum are amongst the most abundant in China. 

    Wheat, corn and oil are the important agricultural products. The output of sunflower seeds, castor beans and sugar-beets is in the important place. In Inner Mongolia the animal husbandry is well developed, and is the production base in China. The amount of horses, camels and little livestock are in the first places. Its industrial base includes metallurgical industry, coal, electric power, machine, forest industry and the processing of animal husbandry products. 

    The railway, highway and aviation form the traffic network. Both trucks and camels are very important for the short distant transportation. There are some boundless grasslands, the gobi, the deserts, the woods fields and the snow fields.

    Recommended Scenic Spots

     

    Genghis Khans Mausoleum

     

    Genghis Khan, Khan of Khans, was the great leader of Mongolians.

     

    At the end of 12th century, he united Mongolian tribes and challenged other powers to expand his huge Mongolian empire, which extended from South China to the Caspian Sea. In 1277, Khan attacked the West Xia Kingdom (presently Ningxia) and encountered strong resistance. He died of disease and age. The great emperor was later buried secretly according to Mongolian custom. It says that after the burial, 2,000 men were slaughtered by some 800 soldiers so that the location of the real tomb remains a secret.

     

    Genghis Khans Mausoleum, rebuilt in 1954, 185 kilometers south of Baotou, is a mausoleum, in which only his clothing is buried in memory of the great leader. The 5.5 hectares mausoleum includes three giant yurt halls which house coffins of the Khan, his wife, his son and his generaThe central building resembles the historical gate symbolizing a bun-shaped Mongolian yurt. The three inter-linked halls, which look like Mongolian yurts, consist of six parts: a central hall, the east hall, the east and west hall, the west corridors and the back hall.

     

    Now the Darhut people - the descendants of Gengghis Khan defend the mausoleum all the year round. They hold a memorial ceremony and courtesy four times a year, that is, on March 21, on May 15, on September 12 and on October 3. The ceremony, held on March 21st on lunar calendar, is the grandest. After the ceremony, horse racing, archery and wrestling are held as entertainment. Thousands of people come to the mausoleum for worship or sightseeing.


    Five-Pagoda Temple

    Jin-Gang-Zuo-She-Li Pagodas, which is popularly called Five-Pagoda Temple, is situated in the Wutasi-hou Street, Yuquan District, Hohhot. The construction of the temple began in the 5th year of the reign of the Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty. The Pagoda is 16.5 meters high and looks like a Buddhas Warrior Attendants seat, with a base under it and five exquisite pagodas on the base. As more than 1560 relief sculptures of Buddha are engraved on the five pagodas, the temple enjoys the reputation of being "a 10000-Buddha Tower". In addition, there are images of Bodhisattva, the four Devarajas, Buddhist Saint, Heavenly Ladies, holy birds and animal, bodhi trees and the engraved scriptures in Mongolian, Tibetan and Sanskrit on the wall of the pagodas. On the wall facing the temple there are 3 marble relief sculptures, including a planisphere marked with Mongolian inscriptions. The pagodas are not only peculiar buildings, but also a huge exquisite carving 

    The Horse Racing Ground

    The Horse Racing Ground, which was built in 1957 and is located in Hulun North Road, Xincheng District, Hohhot, is the largest sports ground in Inner Mongolia and one of the largest horse racing ground in Asia. It has an area of 32,000 sq. meters. On the racing ground there are standardized ring-like tracks for horse race, a sports arena for polo match, a sports arena for skill performance and an arena for obstacle race of horsemanship. All the competition can be carried on at the same time. In the east of the horse racing ground is a whole structure consisting of the rostrum and visitors stands. The structure is 270 meters long and 36 meters high in some parts. Four buildings like Mongolian yurts stand on the roof of the structure. Some cloud-like patterns are painted in white and blue on the vaulted roof of the buildings. This reflects the distinctive local national style and flavor. The visitors stand can hold more than 700 people. The Horse Racing Ground can hold 100,000 people for watching the matches which are held in it. Therefore, it has become one of the important horse racing places in the world.

    Xilamuren Grassland

    Xilamuren Tourist Spot, which is situated in the northern place of Hohhot, 80 km away from the urban area. In the tourist spot there are 62 Mongolian yurts, of which 30 Mongolian yurts are luxurious.

    Xilamuren is also called Zhaohe, for there is a lamasery (named "Puhui Temple") on the bank of the Xilamren River. The lamasery used to be the palace where living Buddha ¢ö of Xilitu Lamasery in Hohhot spent summer. It was built in the 34th year of Qianlong Age of the Qing Dynasty. The lamasery consisting of three halls in magnificent and gorgeous.