TheInnerMongoliaAutonomousRegion,borderingtothenorthwithboththeRepublicofMongoliaandRussia,isthewidestprovinceinChina(byitslatitude).ItisthethirdlargestChineseprovince(over1.1millionsquarekilometersor424,736squaremiles)butnotverypopulated.Theprovincehasabout24millioninhabitants.ManyethnicgroupsarelivinginthisareaincludingMongolian,Daur,Oroqen,Ewenki,Hui,Han,KoreaandManchu.HohhotisthecapitalofInnerMongolia.

　　Whentogo

　　ClimateinInnerMongoliaisverydifferentduringtheyear.Winteriscoldandcanbeverylong,withfrequentblizzards.Usuallysummerisshortandwarm.Theclimatechangesfromaridtosemi-humidfromwesttoeast,andtohumidinthenortheast.Theannualrainfallis80-450millimeters,alsoincreasingfromwesttoeast.Themainfeatureoftheclimatehereisthatthedifferentintemperaturebetweendaysandnightsisverybig,sotouristsshouldwearlayerofclotheswhentravelinghere.

　　Whattosee

　　InnerMongoliahasapeculiarnaturalscenery,longhistoryandbrilliantculture.Therearemanyhistoricsitesinthisarea.Someofthekeyhistoricsitesare:

　　WudangzhaoMonasteryinBaotouisavastcomplexandusedtobetheresidenceofthehighestrankinglamainInnerMongoliaandnowitistheonlyintactTibetanBuddhistmonasteryinInnerMongolia.

　　InnerMongoliaisthehometownofGenghisKhan(1162-1227),thegreatleaderofMongolians.HisMausoleum,located185kilometers(about71miles)southofBaotou,holdshisclothingburiedinhismemory.

　　DazhaoTempleisoneofthebiggestandbest-preservedtemplesinHohhot.XilituzhaoPalaceisthelargestsurvivingLamatempleinHohhot.

　　ZhaojunTomb,sixmilestothesouthofHohhot,islocatedononeofthemostbeautifulscenesofancienttimes.Alegendsaysthateachyear,whenitturnedcoldandgrassbecameyellow,onlythistombremainedgreenandsoitgotthenameGreenTomb(QingZhong).

　　WanbuHuayanjinPagoda,alsocalledWhitePagoda,usedtobeaplacewherenearlytenthousandvolumesofHuayanScripturewerepreserved.Itisanexquisiteandmagnificentbrick-woodstructureaboutonehundredandfiftyfeettall.

　　ButwhatismostattractiveaboutInnerMongoliaisitsnaturalbeauty.Vastgrasslands,includingtheXilamurenGrassland,GegentalaGrasslandandHuitengxileGrasslandareallgoodplacesforagrasslandexperience.Themushroom-likeyurts,brightsky,freshair,rollinggrassandtheflocksandherdsmovinglikewhitecloudsontheremotegrassland,allcontributetomakethesceneryaveryrelaxingone.WhilevisitingInnerMongoliayoumaytrydifferentactivitiessuchasMongolianwrestling,horse&camelriding,rodeocompetitions,archery,visitingtraditionalfamiliesandenjoyingthegracefulMongoliansinginganddancing.ThebesttimetovisitthegrasslandisdefinitelyduringthetraditionalMongolianNadamFestivalperiodwhenthereisabetterchancetobothparticipateandfeelthelivelyatmosphereofthegrasslandlife.

　　YoucanalsovisitdesertsinInnerMongolia.Thedesertsarelocatedinthewesternpartoftheprovince:themostfamousandvisitedonesaretheBadainJaranDesert,TenggerDesertandKubuqiDesert.Earlyautumn(fromthemiddleofAugusttotheendofSeptember)isthebesttimetoexplorethedesertasthetemperaturesareverytemperate