Exploring the Milk Capital of Northern China

Qingcheng Park (People's Park)

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Attraction | "A Yuan Dynasty Emperor with a Suspiciously British Accent"

Emperor Paul Photo - Qingcheng Park (People's Park), Hohhot, China

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As you may have noticed from some of my other entries in this journal, Hohhot was not our first choice of holiday destination for Spring Festival. Our decision to visit the Milk Capital was born more out of necessity than genuine excitement as it was the only place to which tickets were available at a reasonable price. As the multitude of positive entries in this journal may suggest, we were certainly pleasantly surprised at what we found when we arrived. The Great Mosque was stunning, Zhaojun's tomb was beautifully serene and the nightlife was certainly eventful. However, Hohhot is not the largest of cities and is not blessed with a plethora of entertainment options. Therefore, by day four of the tri...Read More

As you may have noticed from some of my other entries in this journal, Hohhot was not our first choice of holiday destination for Spring Festival. Our decision to visit the Milk Capital was born more out of necessity than genuine excitement as it was the only place to which tickets were available at a reasonable price. As the multitude of positive entries in this journal may suggest, we were certainly pleasantly surprised at what we found when we arrived. The Great Mosque was stunning, Zhaojun's tomb was beautifully serene and the nightlife was certainly eventful. However, Hohhot is not the largest of cities and is not blessed with a plethora of entertainment options. Therefore, by day four of the trip, we were out of things to do.

We were sat in the Holiday Inn enjoying its all you can eat buffet and mulling over our plans for the day. I had a complimentary map of the city spread across the table as we tucked into some exquisite lamb and searched for something to fill our final day. Nothing that we had not already seen managed to leap from the page. However, I noticed that just a few blocks away was situated People's Park. It might not have offered any thrills or spills, but I figured that at least it would offer an opportunity to enjoy a pleasant afternoon stroll.

Our expectations of the park were fairly limited. However, it managed to exceed them dramatically as we enjoyed a delightful, albeit slightly childish afternoon. The first delight that grabbed us was a photographer offering the opportunity to have your picture snapped in a variety of traditional Mongolian clothing. Always keen to dress up like an idiot, I pestered my friend Os until he agreed that we should don some dramatic outfits for comic effect. I donned a long flowing robe in the guise of a Yuan dynasty emperor and Os strapped on the leather get-up of an ancient warrior. We looked fantastic in our new found get-up, and were attracting plenty of attention from locals. By the time we had snapped a few pictures, a circle of twenty or thirty Inner Mongolians we staring at the foreigners dressed as Mongol warriors – it was a bizarre, but fun scene.

The second delight was the frozen lake at the park's centre. Almost as soon as I had shed my imperial robes and Os had hung up his warriors sword, we stumbled upon hundreds of locals enjoying the thick ice. With nothing better to do, we decided we would join them. We had a choice between skates, bicycles equipped with one wheel and two skate blades and a type of walking frame that could be used in conjunction with skates. We decided we would try the skates. This was not a good plan. After 5 minutes, I had fallen over two or three times and had a rather large bruise on my left thigh and Os had barely managed to get away from the side of the lake. For the next hour, I laboured my way around the ice, tottering around and occasionally plummeting to the hard cold surface. Os, quickly gave up and turned to the ice-bike and went scooting about the place with glee.

People's Park is in the west of Hohhot. It is free to get in and in winter can be fantastic fun. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 7, 2010

Qingcheng Park (People's Park)
Center of the City
Hohhot, China

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Xilitu Lamasery

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Attraction | "Real Life Lamas"

Delicate Tiles Photo - Xilitu Lamasery, Hohhot, China

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As I unpacked in my hotel upon arriving in Hohhot, I was mortified to discover that I had committed the cardinal sin of leaving my camera at home. This meant that all my pictures on the trip would have to be taken on my 2million megapixel cellphone camera. Generally, my little Lenovo performed admirably and helped me capture Hohhot very well. However, the one place in which I genuinely wished I had something more powerful to help me snap images was at the Xilituzhao Lamasery, where we encountered some wonderful images and fantastic colours.Xilituzhao is literally right across the street from the larger and busier Dazhou Temple. We arrived on a bitingly cold morning. The temperatures was cl...Read More

As I unpacked in my hotel upon arriving in Hohhot, I was mortified to discover that I had committed the cardinal sin of leaving my camera at home. This meant that all my pictures on the trip would have to be taken on my 2million megapixel cellphone camera. Generally, my little Lenovo performed admirably and helped me capture Hohhot very well. However, the one place in which I genuinely wished I had something more powerful to help me snap images was at the Xilituzhao Lamasery, where we encountered some wonderful images and fantastic colours.

Xilituzhao is literally right across the street from the larger and busier Dazhou Temple. We arrived on a bitingly cold morning. The temperatures was close to 15 degrees below zero. So, as we passed through the gates, the first order of the day was to stop at one of the shrines where worshippers were burning incense. One reason for this was to be respectful to local culture, the other was to enjoy the heat generated by the plethora of burning candles.

As we breathed in the tangy fumes and warmed our numb fingers, I could not help but admire the main building within the lamasery. For a Buddhist structure, its lines were surprisingly blunt. There were far more horizontal and vertical lines than you would ordinarily expect. However, it was a blaze of differing colours and designs. The majority of the main building is covered in wonderful glazed tiles in fantastic shades of green, blue and turquoise. Even though the winter sun was providing precious little heat, it was producing a delicate yet powerful light that was dancing across the tiles to create some fantastic reflections

From the outside, the main building looked fantastic. However, it was far more interesting on the inside. Unlike most of the temples and other such buildings around China, Xilitu is actually a fully functioning lamasery, which means it is populated by scores of young lamas going through their religious schoolings. This meant that there was more than just the architecture for us to see. Inside the main building, it was possible to see the young students taking lessons going about their studies, which was truly fascinating. I also could not help but feel sorry for the poor boys as they were wearing the traditional robes in frighteningly cold temperatures. It seemed to show a commitment that would certainly have been beyond me.

The other main sight in Xilitu was a giant white Dagoba similar in style to the one that dominates Beihai Park in Beijing – only a little smaller. I found it to be a stunning sight. The main body of the Dagoba was a pristine white, but it was adorned with a fantastic array of Buddhist silks in a variety of bright colours.

Xilitu is situated in the centre of Hohhot, across the street from Dazhou temple. A visit to both is certainly worth an afternoon out. Tickets for Xilitu cost a reasonable 20rmb. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 7, 2010

Xilitu Lamasery

Hohhot, China

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Five-Pagoda Temple (Wu Ta Si)

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Attraction | "Size is Relative"

Wu Ta Si Photo - Five-Pagoda Temple (Wu Ta Si), Beijing, China

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It was our first morning in Hohhot. After showering and brushing the taste of the previous night's beer and mutton fat from our teeth, we decided to head out for some sight-seeing. We paused at the reception desk of our hotel to pick up the complementary tourist map of Hohhot. Next to adverts for a multitude of different Mongolian hot-pot restaurants was a picture of the Five Towers Temple, or Wu Ta Si as it is known locally. It looked impressive. From the 5cm x 5cm picture, it appeared to be a forbidding, large stone building comprised of five large pagoda-like towers and scores of miniature carvings. It even had echoes of the Pottala Palace in Lhasa.Appearances can, however, be deceptive...Read More

It was our first morning in Hohhot. After showering and brushing the taste of the previous night's beer and mutton fat from our teeth, we decided to head out for some sight-seeing. We paused at the reception desk of our hotel to pick up the complementary tourist map of Hohhot. Next to adverts for a multitude of different Mongolian hot-pot restaurants was a picture of the Five Towers Temple, or Wu Ta Si as it is known locally. It looked impressive. From the 5cm x 5cm picture, it appeared to be a forbidding, large stone building comprised of five large pagoda-like towers and scores of miniature carvings. It even had echoes of the Pottala Palace in Lhasa.

Appearances can, however, be deceptive. When we arrived, we were expecting to see a giant temple, towering over suburban Hohhot. However, when we stepped out of our taxi, all we could see were the eaves of a regular temple, the type of thing you could see in any city in China. At first, we were not sure whether our taxi driver had brought us to the wrong place. So, for a few minutes we wandered around rather aimlessly looking for clues as to whether we were, in fact, at the right place. When we eventually found the gate, we discovered that we were. This, though, left us even more confused, where was the giant stone temple – there was nothing that looked remotely like the Pottala Palace anywhere in view.

Feeling rather sceptical, we paid our 20rmb and entered the temple. As we walked along the main path, it appeared to be nothing more than a slightly smaller version of every other temple in China. This left us feeling rather disappointed and a little bit cheated by the map we still clung to. However, as we passed through the last of the prayer halls, we stepped out into the back courtyard of the temple. Standing directly in front of us was the image from our photo. Except, it seemed to have shrunk.

Everything we could see in the picture was there. Five pagodas sat atop a base a delicately carved today and an elegant base. The carvings were as ornate as the picture suggested and its lines were as imposing as I had imagined. However, whilst the picture made the mini-temple look 40 or 50m in height, it was in reality just 16m high. The trees that lined the park were, in the picture, cropped or airbrushed to look tiny, but in real life were taller than the temple itself.

We moved closer to inspect the temple in detail. The carvings were impressive. Every inch of the body and the pagodas above were ornately carved from solid stone. It also had several elegant inscriptions in Mongolian, Tibetan and Sanskrit. These all made the temple look beautiful. However, I could not help glancing at my picture and wondering where the giant temple was.

Wu Ta Si is situated in the southeast of Hohhot. It is an elegant and visually stunning structure. However, do not be fooled by some of the digitally enhanced pictures you might see – we saw several others around Hohhot that suggested a far more impressive scale – it is quite small. It is, though, worth a short visit. Read Less

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on March 7, 2010

Five-Pagoda Temple (Wu Ta Si)
24, Wu Ta Si Cun, Xi Zhi Men Wai, Hai Dian District, Beijing
Beijing, China
+86 (0)10 6218 6081

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Pole Dancing in Inner Mongolia

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Nightlife in China can certainly prove to be a rather mixed experience. If you visit Shanghai for a night on the tiles, it can prove to be as lavish, exciting and expensive as tripping the light fantastic in London or New York. Similarly, the capital is also fast becoming one of the biggest party towns in Asia, with scores of exciting new bars and clubs opening, and a raft of top western DJs coming to play. However, once you move away from some of the bigger cities, the options on offer can get a little more spartan. For example, when I visited Datong in 2006, I could scarcely find dinner after 8.30 let alone a cold beer. The experience of my buddy Os and I in Hohhot seemed to encapsulate both ends of...Read More

Nightlife in China can certainly prove to be a rather mixed experience. If you visit Shanghai for a night on the tiles, it can prove to be as lavish, exciting and expensive as tripping the light fantastic in London or New York. Similarly, the capital is also fast becoming one of the biggest party towns in Asia, with scores of exciting new bars and clubs opening, and a raft of top western DJs coming to play. However, once you move away from some of the bigger cities, the options on offer can get a little more spartan. For example, when I visited Datong in 2006, I could scarcely find dinner after 8.30 let alone a cold beer. The experience of my buddy Os and I in Hohhot seemed to encapsulate both ends of the Chinese nightlife spectrum. We managed to have a fantastic time, but finding a good bar was certainly not easy.

Our evening began after dinner at around 8.30. Our guidebooks informed us that there were a few bars in the northeast of the city close to the university area. So, we hailed a cab and pointed the driver in that direction. When we began to see neon, we jumped out and went in search of a brew. Sadly, we were fresh out of luck. All we could find were cheap hotpot restaurants and gaudy KTV (Karaoke) bars.

Thankfully, it was still pretty early. So, we had plenty of time to stumble on the right watering hole. However, with temperatures touching 15 degrees below zero, this was not a pleasant process. We trudged through the icy streets that surround the University of Inner Mongolia and the Agricultural University of Inner Mongolia to no avail. As my toes began to lose feeling and my lips began to go a rather worrying shade of blue, we opted to head towards the city centre. As we walked in frozen silence, I began to hear a muffled thumping noise. Through the fibres my woolly hat it began to get louder and louder. Soon, it became clear that it was the unmistakable beat of a nightclub. The only problem was, I could not locate the source of the noise.

After much umming, ahhing and wandering aimlessly, we managed to deduce that the noise was coming from a dark alleyway that contained old, and seemingly abandoned, warehouses. Feeling just a little trepidatious we inched along the alley towards the noise. We were greeted by a large, rusting iron doorway. We looked at each other with rather nervous expressions before casting caution to the wind and stepping inside. We were greeted by a large toothless, shaven-headed man wearing a padded Mao style jacket. He demanded 3rmb as a cover charge. He did not look the type of guy to argue with, so we parted with some crumpled bills and went up stairs.

The place looked every inch an abandoned warehouse. The floors were crumbling concrete, there was no heating – aside from body heat – and the staircase was metallic and covered in rust. However, as unwelcoming as the surroundings first appeared, the club proved to be fantastic – it rivalled even the best nights I have enjoyed in Beijing or Shanghai. It served frighteningly cold beer at just 4rmb a bottle and had a raised dance floor, upon which Inner Mongolian youngsters busted their best dance moves.

At first the atmosphere was one of caution. The locals were clearly not used to seeing foreigners in their club. So, as we mounted the dance floor, everyone seemed to stop and stare at us. As we began to gingerly strut our stuff, a huge circle appeared around us with around 15 Inner Mongolians simply watching us in silence. This certainly did not feel comfortable. So, we decided to quit the dance floor after the first song and to grab a couple more beers – for "a couple", read 6 or 7. It was as we sat at the side of the dance floor that I spotted the type of pole used by lap dancers on a podium close to the DJ. I pointed it out to Os and commented that if the Inner Mongolians were staring at us even if we just tried a little regular dancing, he should try his best pole dancer routine, that would surely grab their attention.

At first, the challenge was merely jovial. However, after a few more beers, my suggestions grew stronger and Os felt compelled to accept the challenge. So, he strode across the dance floor and up onto the podium next to the DJ. The music continued, but everything else seemed to stop. The crowd, the barman, the DJ and everyone in the club stared at Os as he began to spin and pirouhette around the pole. At first, it created an air of complete shock. However, after this wore off, people began to clap in time and Os's routine got the a huge ovation.
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Zhaojun Tomb

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Attraction | "Serenity in the Snow"

Zhaojun Monument Photo - Zhaojun Tomb, Hohhot, China

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Eternally housed in the 40m mound of earth situated 9km from downtown Hohhot, Zhaojun was one China’s most famous ‘political’ brides. In 33 BC (during the Western Han Dynasty) Zhaojun was an ignored member of the Emperor Yuan’s harem. At the time, the emperor was attempting to negotiate a treaty with the marauding Xiongnu tribe who were bust ravaging China’s northern extremities from the steppe – the area now known as Inner Mongolia. As part of the treaty the Khan of the Xiongnu demanded a Chinese princess from the emperor’s harem. Saddened at being ignored by the emperor, Zhaojun volunteered for the perilous one way mission. In so doing, she brought peace between the Chinese and the Xiongnu. ...Read More

Eternally housed in the 40m mound of earth situated 9km from downtown Hohhot, Zhaojun was one China’s most famous ‘political’ brides. In 33 BC (during the Western Han Dynasty) Zhaojun was an ignored member of the Emperor Yuan’s harem. At the time, the emperor was attempting to negotiate a treaty with the marauding Xiongnu tribe who were bust ravaging China’s northern extremities from the steppe – the area now known as Inner Mongolia. As part of the treaty the Khan of the Xiongnu demanded a Chinese princess from the emperor’s harem. Saddened at being ignored by the emperor, Zhaojun volunteered for the perilous one way mission. In so doing, she brought peace between the Chinese and the Xiongnu.

As beautiful as the above story may be, there is actually a deeper, slightly less savoury twist. In ancient times it was customary for imperial concubines – of which there would be many – to bribe the court artist to paint their likeness in a flattering light. This would help them to attract the emperor and thus gain political sway. However, Zhaojun was so confident in her own beauty that she refused to do this. It is, therefore, believed that the court painter added an unflattering mole to her portrait, which the emperor found repulsive. Because of this the emperor never visited her bed-chamber and was happy to allow her to marry the Khan.

Regardless of exactly how true the story is, the tomb itself is imposing. The 40m high mound is covered in small bushes and can be climbed via a bumpy path that slowly winds its way to the top, from where we could gaze either north, back to the confines of the city, or south, out across the grasslands that extend for hundreds of miles. When we visited Zhaojun the whole place was deserted, creating a wonderful sense of serenity, the only noise in our ears as we stared out into the wilderness being the howling of the biting steppe winds.

I believe we saw the tomb in its best light as we visited in the depths of winter. When we arrived we actually had trouble buying a ticket as the gatekeeper did not want to open his door to let the cold air inside. However, as we refused to go away, he eventually gave in and sold us the tickets that allowed us to explore the tomb. We were completely alone, which certainly helped build the air of serenity. I did, though, notice several closed souvenir stalls and fast food stands, which suggested a visit in the summer months would not bring such peace.

Zhaojun's tomb is a thirty minute drive to the south of the city. It costs around 100rmd to get there in a taxi and 35rmb to get in. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 6, 2010

Zhaojun Tomb

Hohhot, Inner Mongolia

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Great Mosque and Muslim Quarter

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Attraction | "A Bizarre Architectural Twist"

Mongolian Quarter Photo - Great Mosque and Muslim Quarter, Hohhot, China

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For the most part, Hohhot is not the most beautiful of China's cities. Much of the downtown area is comprised of slab-sided Communist-style buildings that give the city the rather dour feeling that accompanies many of China's smaller cities. There are, however, a few exceptions to this rule that give the city a burst of colour and create a very unique atmosphere.The majority of this colour comes in the west of the city. The buildings here are, in many ways, similar to those in the rest of Hohhot, and to those that can be seen in countless small cities across China. They are around six or seven storeys high, they are built from slightly-sub par concrete and have no subtlety or hints of soph...Read More

For the most part, Hohhot is not the most beautiful of China's cities. Much of the downtown area is comprised of slab-sided Communist-style buildings that give the city the rather dour feeling that accompanies many of China's smaller cities. There are, however, a few exceptions to this rule that give the city a burst of colour and create a very unique atmosphere.

The majority of this colour comes in the west of the city. The buildings here are, in many ways, similar to those in the rest of Hohhot, and to those that can be seen in countless small cities across China. They are around six or seven storeys high, they are built from slightly-sub par concrete and have no subtlety or hints of sophistication whatsoever. However, despite their rather bland blockish style, they have been decorated in ways that truly grab the attention.

In the southwestern corner, the buildings have been adorned with traditional Mongolian themes and styles. For example, many of the roofs and walls are painted sky blue, to evoke the feeling of the blue skies that sweep over the Mongolian steppe and to mimic the style of ethnic Mongolian homes – many Mongolian families decorate the roof of their ger (circular tent) with blue fabric to symbolize the blue sky. Some of the smaller buildings also come topped with circular roofs similar to those of a ger. This makeover certainly worked well in transforming the rather dull suburban districts of Hohhot into a brighter architecturally fascinating area.

The traditional Mongolian style is impressive, but it does not hold a candle to the Muslim Quarter. When I first heard the term 'Muslim Quarter' I had images of places like old Istanbul with tiny interweaving streets and scores of minarets peaking above the skyline. However, in Hohhot nothing could have been further from the truth. Instead, the avenues were wide and the buildings were, again, blockish and imposing. However, just as in the 'Mongolian' area, they had been rather well decorated. The majority of the walls of the buildings were a light yellow and were adorned with spiralling green roofs. Even though, there was just one actual mosque, the buildings all gave the feel of being crowned by crowing minarets.

Sadly, there is none of the hustle and bustle that one would associate with the term Muslimn Quarter, and the whole area has a very sanitized and very Chinese feel. So, whilst the Muslim Quarter may be visually impressive, it is rather bland in terms of culture. However, there are several good restaurants serving spiced mutton and the architecture alone is certainly worth the visit.

The Muslim Quarter of Hohhot takes up the northwestern part of the city. The city has no subway, but taxis are frighteningly cheap. It would cost less than 10rmb to reach the Muslim Quarter from any other part of the city. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 6, 2010

Great Mosque and Muslim Quarter
Tongdao Jie
Hohhot, China

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Great Mosque and Muslim Quarter

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Attraction | "Wizardly and Wonderful"

The Mosque Bathed in Sunshine Photo - Great Mosque and Muslim Quarter, Hohhot, China

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In my experience, the term 'Grand Mosque', when used in China, almost always brings nothing but disappointment. I have visited at least five, and, on every occasion bar two I have left utterly underwhelmed and disappointed. The first of these visits took place in Yinchuan in 2006. We had travelled there to visit the Helen Shan mountains and the tombs of the Xia Dynasty. Whilst there we also stopped off at the town's Grand Mosque, which Lonely Planet trumpeted as "fabulous", but which proved to be far from grand. The second visit took place in my adopted home town of Tianjin, where the Grand Mosque was a rather modern and sterile building that looked more like an observatory than a place o...Read More

In my experience, the term 'Grand Mosque', when used in China, almost always brings nothing but disappointment. I have visited at least five, and, on every occasion bar two I have left utterly underwhelmed and disappointed.

The first of these visits took place in Yinchuan in 2006. We had travelled there to visit the Helen Shan mountains and the tombs of the Xia Dynasty. Whilst there we also stopped off at the town's Grand Mosque, which Lonely Planet trumpeted as "fabulous", but which proved to be far from grand. The second visit took place in my adopted home town of Tianjin, where the Grand Mosque was a rather modern and sterile building that looked more like an observatory than a place of worship.

The first time I left without being disappointed was when my friend Os and I visited the Grand Mosque in Hohhot. In terms of scale, "Grand" is not the right term as the mosque is actually pretty small – the minaret is less than 30m in height. However, even though the place is relatively tiny, it is exquisitely built and has an almost magical feel. The minaret and the other accompanying towers are all painted black and are edged with bright gold leaf. As these twist into the air, it gives the feeling of being home to wizards and witches rather than solemn worshippers. It certainly captured my attention, I could not help stare in amazement.

Whilst the minarets and towers are decked out in the wizardly black and gold, the lower parts of the mosque are covered with slightly more pious green tiles. There are also several screens and panels that are decorated in Arabic script that help to give the whole place a truly mysterious air. When we visited, it was almost deserted, which allowed us to wander around in solitude and to marvel at the stunning yet slightly bizarre architecture.

Entrance to the mosque was free and visitors are allowed to amble around the courtyard at leisure, although they must remain quiet and respectful. The mosque is located on the main thoroughfare of the Muslim Quarter and could easily be combined with a trip to that area and a traditional Muslim lunch. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 6, 2010

Great Mosque and Muslim Quarter
Tongdao Jie
Hohhot, China

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The Great Mutton Hunt

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It was January 2008. My Buddy Os and I sat in his apartment drinking a couple of rather dusty 3rmb bottles of Tsingtao beer. We were trying to plan a trip for Spring Festival (often referred to as Chinese New Year), but, alas, we were not having much luck. We had a myriad of destinations in mind. However, the increased demand for plane and train tickets during the holiday season meant that we were struggling to find a ticket to the right place at the right price – the majority of rail tickets had sold out and some of the prices airlines were quoting were just plain silly. We had had one brief glimpse of hope when discovered there were still train tickets available to Jiayouguan, the city at then end o...Read More

It was January 2008. My Buddy Os and I sat in his apartment drinking a couple of rather dusty 3rmb bottles of Tsingtao beer. We were trying to plan a trip for Spring Festival (often referred to as Chinese New Year), but, alas, we were not having much luck. We had a myriad of destinations in mind. However, the increased demand for plane and train tickets during the holiday season meant that we were struggling to find a ticket to the right place at the right price – the majority of rail tickets had sold out and some of the prices airlines were quoting were just plain silly. We had had one brief glimpse of hope when discovered there were still train tickets available to Jiayouguan, the city at then end of the Great Wall. However, this was soon extinguished when we discovered the journey would take 36 hours.

Our hopes of playing with pandas in Chengdu came to nothing, as did my dreams of following in the footsteps of Sven Hedin and Aurel Stein, and exploring the Silk Road. The only place with plenty of tickets at a reasonable price was Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia. Neither of us knew too much about it. So, as we opened another beer, we decided to google it. We quickly discovered that the Hohhot tourist board is in serious need of a more effective marketing department. Every page we found described Hohhot as the "Milk Capital of North China", which in our semi-drunken state created plenty of mirth.

Having got past the truly awful slogan, we discovered that Hohhot may actually have had some things to tempt us. Apparently, it had some interesting lamaseries, a thriving Muslim quarter and some of China's heartiest cuisine. So, as we chugged back another Tsingtao, we decided that there was nothing else for it but to book our tickets to the Milk Capital.

One of the main factors in helping decide to visit Hohhot was the food. Almost as soon as the tickets arrived, I had visions of the two of us biting into giant sheeps' legs in the style of Chinggis Khan and his conquest loving clan. Therefore, after we dumped our bags at our hotel and donned our thermals to insulate against the biting sub-zero temperatures, we went in search of some true Mongolian fare.

Living in Tianjin, we had tasted plenty of Mongolian restaurants. However, to me, the majority of these seemed to be Hanified – that may not actually be a real word, but I am using it to describe a minority in China that has been co-opted and watered down by the majority Han population. The mutton was thin and was served in a hot-pot with the type of noodles you would find in Beijing rather than out on the steppe. Therefore, we wanted the real thing. Sadly, it appeared Hohhot itself has been Hanified and finding genuinely ethnic food is not so easy.

On our first evening we headed out in high spirits. However, two hours later and all we had found was a slew of hot-pot restaurants that were no different to the ones we could find in Tianjin. It was only as we started to head back to the hotel that we found a small place serving a slightly different type of hot-pot. The delicate eastern noodles had been replaced by thick buck-wheat strands and the delicate slivers of meat had given way to giant chunks. This heady combination was fried up in a giant bowl set in the middle of our table. It wasn't quite what we had imagined, but we were getting closer.

Unfortunately, this proved to be the culinary highlight of the first three days of our trip. We failed to find anything better or anything remotely ethnic. We even tried the Muslim Quarter, with disastrous results. The restaurant we located had waiters in ethnic dress who very much looked the part. It even had authentic looking artwork on the walls and some rather enticing smells. Sadly, it had no English on the menu. Ignoring this impediment, we chanced our arm. Sadly, instead of the giant hulks of mutton we were craving, we were presented with a plate of sheep's stomach.

Our search was so fruitless that we even resorted to eating at Holiday Inn, although this worked well to settle our stomachs after eating sheep's … stomach. We had almost given up, when, on our last night, we sat down for hot-pot. Again it, was the standard Han fare, until we spied a table across the room tucking into a plate of the largest mutton ribs we had ever seen. We began gesticulating wildly at our waiter, desperately indicating that we wanted what they were having. Ten minutes later, my chin, my shirt and half of the table was covered in hot, greasy mutton fat as we gnawed away on the last morsels of meat left on the bones. It was truly delicious and had been worth waiting for. Read Less

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