Located at the foot of the Yinshan Mountains (yīn shān 阴山), and on the bank of the Yellow River, Baotou (bāo tóu 包头) is the largest industrial city in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The city's Mongolian name means "place with deer", and an alternate name in Chinese is "Deer City" (lù chéng 鹿城). map

 
Summary
Baotou is a city with 37 nationalities. The people of Mongolia, Han (hàn zú 汉族), Manchu (mǎn zú 满族), Hui (huí zú 回族), Daur (dá wò ěr zú 达斡尔族), Oroqen (è lún chūn zú 鄂伦春族), Ewenki (è wēn kè zú 鄂温克族) can all be found here. It has a population of 2,335,600, among whom 1,407,600 are city dwellers. The total area of Baotou covers 27, 768 square kilometers, 160. 6 square kilometers of which is urbanized. It's an important industrial base for metallurgy, machinery, chemicals and energy in China. It is also abundant in rare earth , reputed now as the 'steel capital on grassland' and the 'capital of rare earth'. Moreover, Baotou has successively won the titles of National Civilized City, Garden City, and National Excellent Tourist City.

Climate
Baotou has a half-dry continental monsoon climate of the mid temperate zone. Here are attractive scenery and moderate temperatures. The average temperature is 8.5 degrees Centigrade, with the lowest 31.4 degrees below zero, the highest 38.4 degrees Centigrade. But these were figures in history. Nowadays people enjoy a much more pleasant climate. Summer and autumn are the best seasons. With a pleasant and beautiful weather, and abundant flowers, melons and vegetables, the city is an ideal summer resort. Winter and spring also have something to represent themselves; the ice and snow covered scenery is attractive, too.
 

History
The city has a profound history and abundant cultural relics. Human settlers moved there as early as six thousand years ago in the Neolithic Age. During the Warring States Period (476BC-221BC), the Zhao (zhào 赵) State built the wall in the present suburb of Baotou, which is said by Chinese historians to be the oldest section of the Great Wall. Near the end of the Han (hàn 汉) Dynasty, Lv Bu (lǚ bù 吕布), who would grow up to become China's mightiest and least trustworthy warrior, was born here.

In the contemporary age, Baotou became a port and a town of great commercial importance for the fur trade, which relied on the waterways of the Yellow River. A railway from Beijing was constructed in 1931, and the city began spurring some industrial sites. A German-Chinese joint-venture in 1934 constructed the Baotou Airport and opened a weekly route connecting Baotou with Ningxia (níng xià 宁夏) and Lanzhou (lán zhōu 兰州).

When young Owen Lattimore visited Baotou in 1925, it was still "a little husk of a town in a great hollow shell of mud ramparts, where two busy streets made a traders' quarter", but already an important railhead. Qinghai (qīng hǎi 青海) and Gansu (gān sù 甘肃) wool and hides were brought down the Yellow River by raft and boat from Lanzhou to Baotou, and shipped from Baotou by rail to the east (in particular, to Tianjin (tiān jīn 天津) for export). The river traffic was one-way only, however, as the fast current made sailing up the Yellow River impractical. To travel from Baotou back to Lanzhou or Yinchuan (yín chuān 银川), one would use a cart and camel road. There were also caravan roads from Baotou to Ordos and Alashan (ā lā shàn 阿拉善).

Culture
Historically speaking, Baotou's identity as a border region has extended beyond its mere military significance. The city sits on the border between Mongolian grassland and the Yellow River Plains, and has thus served as a point of cultural intersection between Mongolian and Yellow River Han civilizations. A hundred languages have been spoken in Baotou at one time or another, and opportunities for communication between mountain, grassland and plains civilizations afforded by the city's development have created many new points of cultural synthesis, a benefit which has become ever more important in recent years, as the people of Inner Mongolia struggle to redefine their own cultural identity.

Economy
Despite its relatively remote location, Baotou has not missed out on a single chance for development that has been afforded over the past fifty years. Its economy is based largely in heavy industry - the city produces and refines steel, aluminum, iron ore and coal in huge quantities, making it an essential part of China's developing economy.

Scenic Spots
Baotou has rich culture and abundant tourist resources. It is an ideal destination for sightseeing and spending summer holidays.

Genghis Khan's Mausoleum (chéng jí sī hán líng 成吉思汗陵)
The tomb of Genghis Khan is located 30 kilometers from Ih Ju League (yī kē zhāo méng 伊克昭盟), and consists of walls, a square, and the tomb, covering a total area of some 50,000 square metres Four annual grand sacrificial ceremonies are held here to commemorate Genghis Khan, who to this day remains a hero of the Mongolian people.

Wudangzhao Lamasery (wǔ dāng zhào 五当召)
Wudangzhao Lamasery, built in 1749, is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Inner Mongolia. Wudang Lamasery is surrounded by mountains and has been designated a national tourist resort by the National Tourist Bureau of China. It is located about 70 kilometres northeast of Baotou, near a valley named Wudang Gou (wǔ dāng gōu 五当沟).

Great Wall of the Qin Dynasty (qín cháng chéng 秦长城)
A section of the Great Wall of the Qin Dynasty (221 to 206 BC) stretches for 100 kilometres through the territory of Baotou, and the wall in Guyang County, 10 metres high, presents a magnificent sight. A section located in Shiguai district, is the oldest existing part of the Great Wall.

Meidaizhao Lamasery (měi dài zhào 美岱召)
Meidaizhao Lamasery is located around 80 km east of Baotou city. It was built in 1575 for Alatan Khan (ā lā tǎn hán 阿拉坦汗), a leader of the Mongol tribe in ancient China, also the 17th generation of Genghis Khan. It was one of the most important centers for spreading Tibetan Buddhism in Inner Mongolia.

 Xilamuren Grassland (xī lā mù rén cǎo yuán 希拉穆仁草原)
Meaning the “Yellow River” in Chinese, the Xilamuren Grassland is located 220 kilometers away from Baotou city, and 90 kilometres north of Huhhot. Visitors can ride camels, visit herdsmen’s homes, watch horse races and wrestling, and join evening parties held in the open air. It is listed as a national tourist resort by the National Tourist Bureau of China.

Resonant Sand Bay (Xiangshawan) (xiǎng shā wān 响沙湾)
If you travel to the south of Baotou, you'll discover a wonderful resounding desert at the edge of kubuqi Desert (kù bù qí 库布其沙漠) sliding down from the 90-metre-high, 45-degree sand hill. In the sunny days in summer, if you slide down the slope, you will hear the sand make a noise like monks praying or a plane flying by, a natural and as yet inexplicable phenomenon. Apart from sand sliding, one can also ride horses and camels, or ride on sand-sliding boats.

Mount Jiufeng (jiǔ fēng shān 九峰山)
Mount Jiufeng is located 10 km north of the Salaqi district, Tumuote You (tǔ mò yòu qí sà lā qí zhèn 土默特右旗萨拉齐镇). Its highest peak rises to 2,337.8 meters above sea level. The mountain features jagged rocks of unique shapes and waterfalls, and is home to a variety of flora and fauna.
 

Zhao Jun Island (zhāo jūn dǎo 昭君岛)
Zhao Jun Island lies in Quanbatu County (quán bā tú xiāng 全巴图乡). It has several beautiful natural water courses and natural grasslands of 8 square kilometers, and is home to many birds; Zhaojun Island is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy nature at its best.
 

South Sea Park (nán hǎi gōng yuán 南海公园)
The South Sea is located south of the East-river Area and covers 2000 hectares, including 480 hectares of water. It had been a part of Yellow River. A park was built there in 1985. It is a good place for boating and fishing.

Shimen Tourist Site of Baotou (shí mén fēng jǐng qū 石门风景区)
It is called Shimenshan because of two mountains confrontations of the ditch as a door. The main ōscenic spots there are the Waterfalls, the macaque sanctuary of Taihang Mountain (tài háng shān 太行山), the Shimen Lake and so on.

Lvzu Temple (lǚ zǔ miào 吕祖庙)
It was a small temple at first. It is situated in the Lvzu Temple Street of the East-river site in Baotou. It was expanded in 1866. Once it was listed as one of the top ten temples. In recent years, with being restored and expanded, it has become one of an important tour visiting scenic spot in Baotou.
 

Saihantala (sài hán tǎ lā 塞汗塔拉)
Saihantala locates in the southeast of Qingshan District. In the total area of 150 hectares, the woodland occupies 150 hectares and the grassland occupies 380 hectares. Saihantala Fold customs Garden is a part of the area. The special feature of Saihantala is that it is the grassland in the city. In the customs garden, the main construction is the Mongolian traditional yurt. Here, travelers can taste all kinds of Mongolia food, such as roasted whole lamb and roasted mutton chop. Also, travelers can take activities like horse riding, archery and wrestling in the garden. And the performances, for example, the folk singing and dancing, the bonfire evening, are available here.

Opening Hours: 08:30 – 22:00
Location: in the southeast of Qingshan District, Baotou, Inner Mongolia.
Tel: 086-0472-5100095

Transportation
     

• Baotou is a terminus for both the Baolan Railway (bāo lán tiě lù 包兰铁路) and the Jingbao Railway (jīng bāo tiě lù 京包铁路), heading for Lanzhou in the west and Beijing in the east, respectively. The city is served by two main railway stations, Baotou East Railway Station, and Baotou Railway Station.
• Baotou Airport serves the city with regular service to Beijing (běi jīng 北京), Shanghai (shàng hǎi 上海) and Taiyuan (tài yuán 太原).
• The city is connected by the Hubao Expressway (hū bāo 呼包高速) to Inner Mongolia's capital, Hohhot (hū hé hào tè 呼和浩特).
• China National Highway 210 runs from Baotou, Inner Mongolia to Nanning (nán níng 南宁), Guangxi Province (guǎng xī shěng 广西省). It is 3,097 kilometres in length and runs south from Baotou towards Shaanxi Province (shǎn xī shěng 陕西省), Sichuan Province (sì chuān shěng 四川省), Chongqing (chóng qìng 重庆), Guizhou Province (guì zhōu shěng 贵州省), and ends in Guangxi Province.
 

Hotels in Baotou

Shangri-La Hotel (xiāng gé lǐ lā jiǔ diàn 香格里拉酒店): 5 star, tel: (86-472) 5998888, address: 66 Min Zu East Road, QingShan District, Baotou (qīng shān qū mín zú dōng lù 青山区民族东路).
Shenhua International Hotel (shén huá guó jì dà jiǔ diàn 神华国际大酒店): 5 star, tel: (86-472) 5368888, address: 1 Aerding Street, Kundulun District Baotou (kūn dū lún qū ā ěr dīng dà jiē 昆都仑区阿尔丁大街).
Tianwaitian Hotel (tiān wài tiān jiǔ diàn 天外天酒店): 4 star, tel: (86-472) 5361888, address: 50 Hudemulin Street, QingShan District, Baotou (qīng shān qū hū dé mù lín dà jiē 青山区呼得木林大街).
Qingshan Hotel (qīng shān bīn guǎn 青山宾馆): 3 star, tel: (86-472) 3331199, address: 1 Yingbin Road, QingShan District, Baotou (qīng shān qū yíng bīn lù 青山区迎宾路).
Baotou Hotel (bāo tóu bīn guǎn 包头宾馆): 3 star, tel: (86-472) 5156655, address: 33 Iron and Steel Street, Kundulun District Baotou (kūn dū lún qū gāng tiě dà jiē 昆都仑区钢铁大街).

Shopping
The downtown area of Baotou is narrow and long. The main commercial street is near the Zhongshan Road (zhōng shān lù 中山路) in front of Baotou East Railway Station. Travelers can buy some local products and art crafts there.

The other shopping area is the Steel Street (gāng tiě dà jiē 钢铁大街), Aertin Street (ā ěr dīng dà jiē 阿尔丁大街), Youyi Street (yǒu yì dà jiē 友谊大街), Baiyun Road (bái yún lù 白云路) in Kundulun District (kūn dū lún qū 昆都仑区), Wenhua Road (wén huà lù 文化路) in Qingshan District (qīng shān qū 青山区), and Heping Road (hé píng lù 和平路) in Donghe District (dōng hé qū 东河区).

Food
The features of the food in Baotou have much northwest flavor. The local people take beef, mutton and all kinds of food made of flour as their main food. Tens of various kinds of restaurants gather on the Steel Street in the west of the city. In addition, at the crossing of Huancheng Road (huán chéng lù 环城路) and Nanmenwai Street (nán mén wài dà jiē 南门外大街), there is a night market where people can taste all kinds of local snacks, and the price is very low. In the evening, lots of people come to the night market to have snacks.The local flavor of Baotou is the wine made of horse milk, oatmeal, smoked chicken and so on.

Travel Tips
• When the traveler visit a local herdsman’s family, the host will firstly offer a bowl of milk tea to the guest. The guest have to rise a little and accept the milk tea with two hands or with the right hand. It will be considered as impolite if the guest accept the tea with left hand.

• Summer and autumn are the best seasons to visit Baotou. In the two seasons, travelers can enjoy the endless grassland and taste the local fruits and vegetables. It is a ideal resort to escape the hot summer. In addition, for the travelers who like to see the snow scenery, travel to Baotou in winter is a good choice. The snow scenery in Baotou is charming. But the temperature is very low. The travelers have to take enough clothes to keep warm.