Inner Mongolia Museum - Gently Narrate the Birth and Development of Grassland Culture

Located in the center of Hohhot, the capital of the autonomous region, the Inner Mongolia Museum (内蒙古博物院) is the only comprehensive museum with a provincial level and the earliest museum established in ethnic minority areas in China. The main building area of Inner Mongolia Museum is more than 50,000 square meters, with unique shape and advanced equipment and technology. It is composed of exhibition hall area, cultural relic storehouse area, visitor service area, business and research area and multi-function hall, etc. It is also one of the landmark buildings of the autonomous region.

The Inner Mongolia Museum has a collection of more than 150,000 pieces, featuring paleontological fossils, Khitan cultural relics and Mongolian cultural relics, tracing the historical process of Inner Mongolia from prehistoric times, the Bronze Age, the Warring States to the Wei and Jin, the Liao and Jin, the Mongolian-Yuan to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, as well as modern times. It is an "encyclopedia" that concentrates on the history of ecological changes and grassland civilization in northern China over hundreds of millions of years. It is also a symbol of the level of economic and social development and civilization of Inner Mongolia.

Ancient World: The exhibition hall mainly displays the natural paleontological fossils found in Inner Mongolia, showing the great changes of the ancient ecological environment of Inner Mongolia which rose and fell from 3 billion years ago to 10,000 years ago, especially highlighting the fossil specimens of Mesozoic dinosaurs, Tertiary and Quaternary mammals.

Magnificent Plateau: The exhibition hall mainly displays the specimens of nowadays existing living creatures in Inner Mongolia. With the typical environmental organisms in the eastern forest, the central grassland and the western Gobi Desert as the shining points, it leads the audience into the unique natural ecological world of Inner Mongolia.

Underground Treasure: Inner Mongolia geological and mineral specimens display, including all kinds of precious metal minerals, nonferrous metal minerals, nonmetallic minerals, energy mineral resources and building materials in Inner Mongolia, showing the rich geological and mineral resources of Inner Mongolia.

Flying Shenzhou Spacecraft: The large-scale exhibition of China's space science and technology based on Inner Mongolia will display the history of the aerospace industry of the Republic of China, the achievements of the space industry and the great contribution of the people of Inner Mongolia to China's space industry, and stimulate the emotions of people to explore space and carry forward the open humanistic spirit of the grassland.

Glory Grassland: The exhibition of ancient ethnic history of Inner Mongolia displays the fine cultural relics of ancient peoples of the Donghu, Huns, Xianbei, Turkic, Khitan, etc. It highlights the history of the Hongshan culture in the Neolithic Age and the Liao culture, and tells the origin, formation, development and brilliance of the grassland civilization.

The Proud Son of Heaven: The exhibition of the general history of the ancient Mongolians, with Genghis Khan and the Yuan Dynasty as the highlights, shows the wisdom, brilliant creation and magnificent history of the Mongolians from the origin of the Mongolians to the Yuan Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties for nearly a thousand years, which is one of the most eye-catching featured exhibits in the world.

Grassland Charm: The exhibition of modern ethnic customs in Inner Mongolia displays the production and life, culture and art, customs and rituals, religious beliefs and other customs of the Mongolian, Daur, Ewenki, Oroqen, Manchu, Hui and Korean, etc. living in Inner Mongolia in recent hundreds of years, actively carrying forward the fine cultural traditions of the ethnic groups.

Flames of War on the Grassland: The history of Modern Revolutionary Struggle in Inner Mongolia is on display, exhibiting the social conditions and revolutionary relics of Inner Mongolia from May 4th Movement on 1919 to 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded.

Grassland Sunrise: Monographic display of Neolithic Cultural Relics in Inner Mongolia shows the farming, hunting, pottery making, jade carving, living, diet, clothing, marriage and childbearing, funeral, culture, religion and social organization, etc. of ancient Chinese people in the north grassland in the neolithic age. It shows the indelible contribution of grassland civilization to the development of Chinese civilization.

Wind Ritter: The special display of ancient pommel horse relics in Inner Mongolia shows the horse breed, horse harness, horse herding and domestication, the influence of horse on the economy and culture of the central plains, as well as the cavalry weapons of the past dynasties, fully embodies the wisdom and creation of the northern grassland nation and the heroic spirit of the horseback nation.

Grassland Costumes: It’s a special display of ancient costume relics in Inner Mongolia. The method of leaping and stringing beads is used to reflect the unique costume styles of the northern steppe and forest nationalities and to show the aesthetic value orientation of the northern nomadic peoples in ancient China.

Sky Melodies: The display of Inner Mongolia ancient and modern song and dance art shows thousands of years of endless singing and dancing traditions in the northern grassland, a profound cultural background and unique national artistic creativity.

Gorgeous Chapters of Grassland: It’s an exhibit of ancient culture and art relics of Inner Mongolia, displaying cultural relics such as rock paintings, steles and stone carvings of the northern steppe nationalities over thousands of years from the Neolithic Age to the Qing Dynasty, reflecting the unique style in the ideological and cultural creation of the northern steppe nationalities.

Ancient Road Treasures: Inner Mongolia Ancient Grassland Silk Road Cultural Relics Display, showing the fine cultural relics from the Central Plains to the grasslands, from the west to the grasslands, and influenced by the eastern and western culture from the Warring States Period to the Qing Dynasty. It reflects the open consciousness of the grassland people in northern China and their important role in the communication between Eastern and Western culture.

The Golden Crown of Huns’ King (匈奴王金冠): Also known as the eagle crown, the crown is embossed with four animal patterns of tiger, wolf, sheep and horse, and the top is decorated with eagle made of gold and turquoise, representing the highest level of precious metal technology of the northern ethnic groups in the Warring States Period.

Bird-shaped Double Series Painted Pottery Pot (鸟形双系彩绘陶壶): Made in the Neolithic Age, 36 cm high, 32 cm belly diameter, 11 cm bottom diameter. The pottery is made of sand and ash, shaping like a starving nestling raises its head and opens its mouth craving for food. It is a typical artifact of Xiaoheyan culture.

Representatives of Ethnic Heritage

Mantra Board of the Altar of the Bodhisattva: Made in the Qing Dynasty, the wood is 66.5 centimeters long, 66.5 centimeters wide and 3 centimeters thick. It is a first-class cultural relic in the Inner Mongolia Museum. The Mantra Board engraved with the figure of Mantra Wheel of the Tripitaka Sutra.

The Bird-feather Styled Shaman Costume: The costume is made of silk and satin in the Qing Dynasty. Length 145 cm, two sleeves width 177 cm, it’s a cultural relic collected from Hulunbuir city. This double-lapel shaman costume shows the Mongolian shamanism belief with bird worship as a prominent feature.

Representatives of Paleontological Fossil

A Nest of Prolate Dinosaur Eggs Fossil: The fossil dates from the Late Cretaceous and was found in Bayan Mandahu, Urad Back Banner, Bayannur League, Inner Mongolia.

The Whole Skeleton of the Woolly Rhinoceros: With 3.5 m long, 1.7 m high, the fossil is dated from the late Pleistocene. It was discovered in Salawusu, Wushen Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia in 1964.

Hohhot Baita International Airport (呼和浩特白塔机场) is about 10 km away from the Inner Mongolia Museum. You may get there by taking Metro Line 1 and get off at Municipal Government Station and then walk 1 km (about 15 minutes) to reach the entrance gate of Inner Mongolia Museum. You can also take Airport Shuttle Bus Line 1, departure at Inner Mongolia Museum Station, which will take about 40 minutes. It takes less than 30 minutes to transfer from Hohhot Airport to Inner Mongolia Museum by car/taxi.

Hohhot Train Stations to Inner Mongolia Museum

There are 2 frequently used railway stations in Hohhot, namely Hohhot Railway Station and Hohhot East Railway Station.

Hohhot East Railway Station to Inner Mongolia Museum: The distance between Hohhot East Railway Station and Inner Mongolia Museum is less than 3 km, which only takes 10 minutes by car/taxi. You may also take local public buses or metro (Line 1) to get there.

Hohhot Railway Station to Inner Mongolia Museum: Hohhot Railway Station is about 7 km away from Inner Mongolia Museum, which takes 20~30 minutes by car/taxi. For independent travelers, you may also transfer between two places by metro transfer (you may transfer to Line 1 at Xinhua Square Station) or public bus.

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• Address: South Zhaojun Road, Yuquan District, Hohhot (呼和浩特市玉泉区南昭君路6公里处)
• Distance to Dazhao Temple: about 20 km, which takes about 40~50 minutes by car/taxi.

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Hohhot and Inner Mongolia differ a lot with the classic China you know. And it is not an easy job to arrange the daily flight, train and car travel at this relatively vast land. Therefore, travel with a professional travel agency is usually the best way to visit there. We China Discovery know Hohhot and Inner Mongolia a lot and we are experienced in organizing tours to this region. If you need any help, please feel free to contact us! Private cars, one-to-one guide and travel consultant… Everything is only for you and your group or family! The tour is customized by your interest, budget, plan and every special need!