Inner Mongolia Museum

» Hohhot, Inner Mongolia

Inner Mongolia Museum Overview & Map Weather Transportation Information

Covering an area of 3,500 square meters, it is located in the heart of Hohhot and is the largest and best museum in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Inner Mongolia Museum was founded on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 1957. Four parts are included here: Ancient Biology, Historical Relics, Folk Custom, and Modern Relics, displaying the natural landscapes and social development of Inner Mongolia.

Building style

The building of the museum is novel in the architectural style, combining traditional features with modern ideas and style. On the top of the main structure of the building stands the statue of a galloping horse, symbolizing the rapid development of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

What to see

The Inner Mongolia Museum holds 44,000 objects relating to ethnic history in its collections. Among these quite a few are rare treasures seldom seen in China, especially the artifacts relating to the northern tribes called Xiongnu, Xianbei, Qidan, Mongolians and others.

Cultural relics

There are also a large number of cultural relics relating to northern people's living and customs. One of the important sources of its collections is precious materials excavated from the earth as a result of archaeological research. These materials are one of the great specialties of the Inner Mongolia Museum.

At present, there are more than 3,000 sets of such objects, which reflect the lifestyles and customs of a wide variety of Mongolian and other ethnic groups in the region. Among these, notable attractions include the costumes of Mongolian women from different parts of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as well as Mongolian religious artifacts.

The first floor

The Inner Mongolia Museum contains a variety of interesting exhibitions. The ground floor can generally be categorized into four.

The 1st section

The first section is a display of imperial garments and ornaments of past Mongolian kings and their relatives.

The 2nd section

The second section exhibits a good variety of folk artifacts and relics from the generations of people living on the grasslands. These include hunting and sports implements (saddles, leather overcoats & even polo sticks), a Daur shaman's costume, a model yurt (Mongolian tent), costumes, cooking implements, an Oroqen teepee and more.

The 3rd section

The third section takes people back further into the province's past, with one of China's best selections of fossilized remains, mainly of animals and dinosaurs. The two most interesting exhibits are the patched up mammoth skeleton (with bits of plaster inconspicuously replacing missing bits), that was dug out from a mine in the nearby village of Manzhouli, and China's largest dinosaur remains, a giant brontosaurus.

The 4th section

It is the final section. Here, the obvious addition by Communist China is a record of what the Han Chinese have managed to achieve in the province since the 1950s and the CCP consolidation of power.

The second floor

The second floor is a display of the history of the province in ancient times. Most of the exhibitions are dedicated to telling the story of the Khan's, Genghis and Kublai, and the rise and fall of the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368). There is a good display of maps showing the hordes sweeping enlarging of their empire, that at one time stretched as far as Turkey. There are further floors to the building, but these are closed off to general public.

When to visit

Opening Hours: 9:00a.m. - 5:00p.m.

Attractions around » Hohhot, Inner Mongolia

Natural Scene

• Xilamuren Prairie
• Huitengxile Grassland

Historical Site

• Zhaojun Tomb
• Dazhao Temple
• Wanbu Huayanjing Pagoda
• Five Pagoda Temple
• Xilitu Zhao

Cultural Site

• Inner Mongolia Museum

Inner Mongolia Museum Highlights

Museum in Great China

• Forbidden City
• Terracotta Warriors and Horses
• Shaanxi Provincial History Museum
• Sanxingdui Ruins
• Dunhuang Museum
• National Museum of China
• Shanghai Museum
• Weijin Art Gallery
• Gansu Provincial Museum
• Xi'an Banpo Museum
• Dinosaur Museum
• Han Yang Ling Museum
• Forest of Stone Steles Museum
• Tibet Museum
• Jingdezhen Ceramic History Museum
• Dongba Museum
• Chongqing Three Gorges Museum
• Hubei Provincial Museum
• Shanghai History Museum
• Great Wall Museum
• Memorial Hall to the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre
• Han Dynasty Tomb Museum
• Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
• Xianyang Museum
• Shandong Provincial Museum
• Nanjing Museum
• Meteorite Museum
• Salt History Museum
• Inner Mongolia Museum
• Hunan Provincial Museum
• National Tea Museum
• China National Silk Museum
• Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Luoyang Museum
• Chen Family Temple

Inner Mongolia Museum FAQ & Travelers's Tips

  Weather

1. Some tips for grassland weather there

  Food

1. What are the characteristics of local diet there?

  Travel

1. Some tips for you to have a pleasant tour
2. Wanna to ride a horse? Read this one

  Customs

1. What interesting festivals and celebrities do they have?

  Other Hints

1. What customs should we know before going there?

• Some tips for grassland weather there

  Yeah, before going there, you need to know something about the weather.

  Situated in inland area, Inner Mongolia's climate is a little bit drier, sunshine is enough, so you'd better bring the things like lipstick, sunhat, sunscreen and try to drink more water.

  The weather here changes swiftly, the temperature difference between day and night is large; and rain is always together with wind, so remember to bring long-sleeved clothes in case it is cold.

  Especially, if you come here in Oct when temperature is low in the morning and wind is strong at night, please wear warmer clothes, such as short windcoat, sweater. It is above 0C to a dozen degree in the middle of Sep. Kaput can be hired here.

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• What are the characteristics of local diet there?

  The diet of Inner Mongolia is mainly Northern cuisine, the taste is a little bit strong, but cooks in restaurants can provide you good dishes with local specialties according to tourists' taste.

  Something you need to bear in mind:

  • Never eat watermelon right after mutton in case of causing pain in your bowels;

  • Never drink milk tea, and eat watermelon and mutton at the same time, then you will feel uncomfortable by excessive gas.

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• If it is your first time on prairie tour, read this

  So, before enjoying this fabulous tour, the followings may help you have a more pleasant tour:

  1. Sunshine is strong on the grassland, so bring the things like sunscreen, sunhat, sun umbrella.

  2. Please obey the guidance of our tour guide, see flowers, grass, wild animals within safety area; never go into depth in case of dangerous animals like snakes.

  3. During the trip, please pay attention to safety on the road, never stick your head out of the moving vehicles; and take commonly used drugs in case you feel dizzy when on the meadow road, it will rock.

  4. Attention to environmental protection. After enjoying beautiful prairie scenery, please take garbage away to protect the environment.

  5. In case of falling ill on a different land, please bring the commonly used drugs like cold medicine, band-aid, heatstroke preventive, antidiarrheic, medicine for insects' biting.

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• Wanna to ride a horse? Read this one

  1. Before riding a hose, please listen to the horse trainer carefully; avoid extravagant act and gestures when approaching horses gradually from left front or it may frighten them.

  2. Before riding a horse, please make sure your dress are ready. If you want to ride a horse, you'd better choose tight clothes and shoes, like boots or sports shoes, so your ankles won't be rubbed. Please tighten your clothes, hat, and scarf before riding, in case they become loose by wind to frighten horses. Carry-on items always drop in grass, very different to find.

  3. If it is your first time to ride a horse, you'd better ask a horse trainer to lead it for you. He will tell you some basic knowledge. Never touch others' horses by your hands or feet.

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What interesting festivals and celebrities do they have?

Inner Mongolia has rich national culture; horse riding, wrestling, and archery are called "men's three skills." Also, the famous Nadam Fair is held in late July, showing the glorious culture of Mongolian song and dance, sports, athletics, clothes, food & drinks and so on.

Aobao-worshipping festival is a traditional religious activity. Mongolian people take Aobao as sacred place. Have delicious Shoupa rou (boiled mutton eaten with hands)! The mutton comes from sheep fed by fresh grass. It is easy to make, without any condiment, just a good cooking skill can make it tasty! When enjoying it, you will need nothing but your hands, Mongolian people offer Khatag when they welcome guests, give presents, visit each other on festivals.

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• What customs should we know before going there?

  As the saying goes, "Do in Rome as the Romans do."

  • There are more customs, please obey our tour guides, respect local customs and habits to have a pleasant trip.

  • Please take it serious when taking part in Aobao-worshipping festival instead of offering advices, saying this or that; never shout at or chase host's dog in front of the ger.

  • The Mongolians have been hospitable since ancient times. They welcome guests with wine but never force them to drink it; however, guests who can't drink should take the silver bowl with both hands to show your thanks.

  • Lovely livestock. Meet herd in the grassland, please don't go through the herd, instead, no matter passenger or vehicles should bypass them, to show your respect to the herdowner.

  • Offering Khatag. Khatag is a must for Mongolians to make daily manners. When offering Khatag, host sing greetings with good health and good fortune; guests should accept it a little bit bent-forwarded to let host put it on your neck. At last, guests put hands in front of chest to show your thanks.

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