Stand on the edge of Xilinhot and the grassland starts almost where the pavement ends. Mongolian script on shop signs, tapestries and statues of Genghis Khan on street corners, and the smell of grilled mutton drifting out of restaurants tell you quickly that this is a Mongolian city first and a Chinese one second.
Xilinhot suits travellers who want the Mongolian grassland without a long overland expedition, and who are willing to build a trip around a single historic temple, a summer festival and a lot of mutton. It is a county-level city and the seat of government for the Xilingol League, with regular flights from Beijing and a daily train to Hohhot and Baotou.
This guide covers the sights and experiences the sources actually describe: the temple at the historic centre, the Naadam festival, the yurt resorts and the food you will be eating while you are there.
Top things to do in Xilinhot
1. Beizi Temple
Beizi Temple is the anchor of the historic centre of Xilinhot. The Qianlong Emperor built it in 1743, the city was renamed after it, and today it is one of the largest temples on the Xilin Gol grassland.
It sits in the Hangai Residential District and is surrounded by Mongolian restaurants and handicraft shops, so pair the visit with a meal or a look at the shops rather than treating it as a quick stop. The temple's phone number is listed as +86 479 822 1343.
2. The Naadam festival
Naadam is the Mongolian summer festival, celebrated in Xilinhot every year. It is a gathering that involves wrestling, horse trading, costume contests and horse racing, and attendees wear colourful costumes.
Colourful yurts are set up for the festival to serve food, trinkets and supplies. Because it is a summer event, plan your trip around it if the festival is the reason you are coming.
3. Stay at a nearby yurt resort
Tourists can stay at yurt resorts near Xilinhot, where large yurts are used for dining and are surrounded by smaller individual yurts for sleeping.
This is the most direct way to spend a night on the grassland rather than in the city, and it puts you close to the countryside described below.
4. The Xilinhot countryside and its grasslands
The countryside around Xilinhot is rolling grassland populated by Mongolians who keep horses, sheep, goats and cows.
Combine a drive or ride out here with a yurt stay, and expect the animals, not a visitor centre, to be the attraction.
5. Mongolian food in the city
The local diet is built on dairy and meat production. Look for horse milk yogurt, milk, tofu, milk skin, beef and mutton string, hand meat, and grilled whole lamb (烤全羊).
Mongolian meals generally consist of mutton, beef, cabbage and other fruits and vegetables. The restaurants around Beizi Temple are the obvious place to start.
6. Mongolian culture in the city streets
Mongolian culture is prevalent in the city scene: tapestries and monumental statues of Genghis Khan adorn homes, shops and street corners.
You do not need a ticket for this. Walk the centre and the Hangai Residential District and treat the shopfronts and street corners as the exhibit.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Beizi Temple in the Hangai Residential District, the historic centre's artistic temple and one of the largest on the Xilin Gol grassland.
Afternoon: Eat lunch at one of the Mongolian restaurants around the temple, then walk the city streets for the tapestries and Genghis Khan statues, and pick up something from the handicraft shops.
Evening: Head out to a nearby yurt resort, dine in the large yurt and sleep in one of the smaller individual yurts, with the grassland and its horses, sheep, goats and cows around you.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Xilinhot?
Summer, if you want the Naadam festival, which is celebrated every year as the Mongolian summer festival. Most of the annual rainfall falls in July and August, and July is the warmest month.
How do I get to Xilinhot?
Xilinhot Airport has regular flights to Beijing on Air China and China United Airlines, and Tianjin Airlines flies multiple times daily to Hohhot with a seasonal daily flight to Tianjin. The K7917 train departs daily for Hohhot and Baotou.
What should I eat in Xilinhot?
The local diet centres on dairy and meat. Expect horse milk yogurt, milk, tofu, milk skin, beef and mutton string, hand meat and grilled whole lamb, alongside mutton, beef, cabbage and other vegetables.
Can I stay on the grassland rather than in the city?
Yes. Tourists can stay at nearby yurt resorts, where large yurts are used for dining and smaller individual yurts for sleeping.
Check the Naadam dates and the flight or train schedule, then start building your days around the temple, the grassland and the food.