| Inner
Mongolia briefing |  Located
on China's northernmost tip sharing a border of 4,221 kilometers with Russia and
the People's Republic of Mongolia, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is mainly,
inhabited by the Mongolians, with pasturelands, deserts, forests, the Yellow River,
the Ergun River, Dalai Nur, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, Yinshan Mountains,
and Helan Mountain. Its long history and unique culture offer a rich resource
for tourism industry.
Inner Mongolia, a tract of beautiful, fertile land,
was the first minority autonomous region in China founded on May 1, 1947. It has
a population of 22.84 million, with 49 ethnic groups, of which 3.7 million are
the Mongolians, and more than 800,000 others. Covering an area of 1.1183 million
square kilometers, it has eight leagues and four cities, with Hohhot as its capital.
It neighbors Heilongjian, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces in the east; Hebei, Shanxi,
and Shaanxi provinces in the south; and Gansu and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
in the west. Inner Mongolia is richly abundant with natural resources. It
has 880,000 square kilometers of pasturelands, making up 10 percent of the nation's
total; There are approximately 1,000 rivers and 10 lakes; It has over 1,000 species
of plants, 93 species of fish, 362 species of birds, and 114 species of animals,
49 species of which are under State and the autonomous region's protection. The
rich natural resources, the beautiful landscapes, and the unique folklore provide
advantages to the development of tourism industry in inner Mongolia. Governmeent
at all levels have attached great great importance to tourism industry, increasing
funds, and quickening he construction of infrastructural facilities so as to offer
a better environment for travellers. In recent years along with the initiation
of China's reform and opening-up, Inner Mongolia has developed and made good use
of its tourist resources, thus greatly speeding up the development of tourism
industry. More items for tourists have been opened, such as pastureland and
national folklore; horse and camel riding, bicycle, motorcycle and automobile
travelling, and adventures on foot; special items, such as desert, forest, snow,
hunting, fishing, and archaeology; and holiday resort travelling. In recent years,
a complete service system has taken shape, including trips, sightseeing, accommodation,
food, recreation, and shopping. | | Hohhot |  Serving
as the capital seat, Hohhot is located in the heart of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous
Region, with Dahei River, a tributary of the Yellow River, in the north, and close
to the Beijing-Baotou Railway. It is 669 kilometers from Beijing. In Mongolian,
Hohhot means the "green city." It is the region's political, economic,
cultural and transport center.
The city was established in 1581 during the
reign of Emperor Shen Zong of the Ming Dynasty. In 1954, it was renamed Hohhot.
The capital has a total area of 6,079 squre kilometers, four districts, five banners
and counties, and a population of 1.445 million, among whom 180,000 are minority
people, 11 percent of whom are Monoglians. Downtown Hohhot covers an area of 60
square kilometers, with a population of some 800,000. As the center for
tourism in central and western Inner Mongolia, Hohhot boasts many famous tourist
attractions and places of interest, such as the Five-Pagoda Monastery, Dazhao,
Xiaozhao, and Xiletuzhao, Tomb of Princess Wang Zhaojun, and Wanbuhuayanjing Pagoda. Hohhot
offers best services for tourists with convenient transportation, 27 star-rated
hotels, may restaurants, shopping centers, and recreation centers. | | Dazhao
Lamasery |  Established
in 1579, Dazhao is situated in southwestern Hohhot. It is the oldest among the
15 monasteries in Hohhot. The Third Dalai Lama once "opening the light"
for the silver Buddhist statue in the temple and Emperor Taizong of the Ong Dynasty
once lived here. | | The Great Mosque |  Established
in 1693, the Great Mosque is located m the Hui District, Hohhot. It is the oldest
and largest of its kind in Hohhot. Typical Arabian vaults and elegant engravings
can be found in the mosque. The main buildings include the Temple of God, the
lecture hall, the Moslem bathrooms, and Wangyue Tower. The Great Mosque stores
seven stone tablets of past dynasties and 33 volumes of the Koran in Arabian. | | Tomb
of Princess Wang Zhaojun |  Covering
1.4 hectare in area and standing 33 meters high, the tomb of Princess Wang Zhaojun
is located on the southern outskirts, nine kilometers from Hohhot. It tells a
moving story some 2,000 years ago. Wang Zhaojun, also named Qiang, was born
in Baofu Village in Xingshan County, Hubei Province. During the reign of Emperor
Yuandi of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D.220), Wang was chosen to serve in the
imperial court. In 33 B.C., the king of a minority group called Xiongnu (Hun)
made an offer of marriage, and Wang volunteered to marry him, who lived far away.
She made great contribution to the harmonious relations between the Hans and the
Xiongnus, which kept friendly for 60 years. As it is believed, "Wang Zhaojun
is the symbol of national unity, and her tomb is a monument to national unity. | |
Mausoleum of Genghis Khan |  The
mausoleum of Genghis Khan (1162-1227), a pre-eminent 12th-century Mongolian monarch,
is found in Ejan Horo Banner. The coffins containing the remains of the Khan and
his wife are enshrined in the bedroom palace behind the memorial hall in the center
of three interconnected halls in the design of Mongolian yurts. The entire complex
is splendidly ornamented and forever enshrouded in the smoke of burning incense
sticks offered by pilgrims from around the world. Four grand sacrificial ceremonies
are held there every year.
| | Scenic Grasslands |  Xilamuren
and gegentala, 87km and 145km north of Hohhot respectively, are two major idyllic
pasturelands in Inner Mongolia. Similar grasslands are also available in the suburbs
of Baotou, Erenhot, Ulanhot, and Hailar, where visitors may go in for horseback
or camelback riding, attend folk singing and dancing, and taste roast whole lamb. | | |
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