China Guide
The Northwest
Old Hohhot
Address: buses #6, #7 and #8 from the train station to the Hui Middle School stop
Most of the historic buildings of Hohhot are crowded into the interesting – though fast-disappearing – old southwestern part of the city, where you can enjoyably spend half a day simply ambling around. The Great Mosque, an attractive black-brick building situated at the southern end of Zhongshan Lu, blends traces of Chinese and Arabic style. Some of the Hui people who worship here are extremely friendly, and will probably be delighted if you ask to look round the mosque. The surrounding streets comprise the Muslim area of town, and besides a lot of old men with wispy beards and skull- caps, you'll find a good, if dwindling, array of noodle and kebab shops in the immediate area.
There are a couple of large Buddhist temples in the neighbourhood too: the Dazhao (daily 8am–5.30pm; ¥30) was constructed in 1579, and its main halls feature murals depicting the visit of the Emperor Kangxi. Xilituzhao (daily 8am–5.30pm; ¥10) dates from the same era, and features Sanskrit writing above Chinese dragons above Tibetan-style murals. Since 1735 this has been the official residence of the reincarnation of the Living Buddha, who is in charge of Buddhist affairs in the city.
Hohhot's most attractive piece of architecture is as the Wuta Si (Five Towers Temple; daily 8am–5.30pm; ¥35). Built in 1727, in Indian style, this composite of five pagodas originally belonged to the Ci Deng Temple, which no longer exists. It's relatively small, but its walls are engraved with no fewer than 1563 Buddhas, all in slightly different postures. Currently stored inside the pagoda building is a rare, antique Mongolian cosmological map that marks the position of hundreds of stars.