Inner Mongolia Museum: The starting point to understand grassland civilization
It is recommended to start your day's itinerary with a visit to the Inner Mongolia Museum. As a national first-class museum and one of the earliest established museums in China's ethnic minority regions, it houses a collection of 150,000 cultural relics. Make a free reservation in advance on the "Inner Mongolia Museum" official account (closed on Mondays) and enter with your ID card.
The visit starts on the third floor. The casting northern frontier exhibition hall follows the main thread of general history, spanning from the Paleolithic age to the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Nearly all the museum's treasures are displayed here: the eagle-topped gold crown ornament—a crown of the Xiongnu ruler during the Warring States period, currently the only Xiongnu royal crown discovered in China; the Chagan Nur dragon fossil—measuring 26 m in length, one of the largest dinosaur fossils in Asia. If visiting with children, the giant dinosaur skeleton in the ancient world exhibition hall on the second floor and the Tianhe core module model in the flying divine vessel exhibition hall will surely captivate them. It is recommended to allocate 2–3 hrs for the visit. The museum has water dispensers for hot water, so travel light.
Dazhao Temple: 400 years of echoes under red walls and golden roofs
A 20-minute taxi ride from the museum takes you to Hohhot's famous Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism temple, Dazhao Temple. It was built in 1579 under the leadership of Altan Khan, the 17th-generation descendant of Genghis Khan, during the seventh year of the Wanli era in the Ming Dynasty. With a history of over 400 years, it is the earliest-built Lamaist temple in Hohhot.
Don't miss the "three wonders" in the temple: the silver Buddha statue of Sakyamuni said to be cast with 30,000 taels of silver, the vivid Ming dynasty coiled dragon carvings, and the colorful Buddhist story murals. Outside the temple, the eight white stupas lined up in a row make a perfect photo spot, where the red walls and golden roofs contrast beautifully with the blue sky—every snapshot captures an exotic charm. Dazhao Temple is just a wall away from Saishang Old Street, making it ideal to explore the old alley after visiting the temple. Try the lamb shaomai at Lao Suiyuan or savor the authentic ice-boiled lamb at Zecheng to recharge with some local flavors.
Chilechuan grassland: Ancient poetry coming to life
"By the Chilechuan river, beneath the Yinshan mountains, the sky resembles a yurt, covering the vast wilderness"—the boundless scenery described in this Northern and Southern Dynasties folk song awaits you here. This grassland is the national grassland nature park closest to downtown Hohhot, where the open pastures mirror the distant Yinshan mountains, with wooden boardwalks winding through and Mongolian yurts scattered like stars among the lush grass.
Here you can go horse riding, rent a four-person bicycle for a lakeside ride, or simply take a stroll along the boardwalk while waiting for a grassland sunset. If time permits, you can also take a 20-minute detour to Chilechuan Alpine Grassland (now renamed Huanghua Wopu Alpine Grassland), where the view is more expansive, often featuring fairy-tale-like misty views after rain. Before returning to the city in the evening, remember to take more photos on the grassland—lush grass, distant mountains, and sunset hues will easily fill your nine-square grid.