# Xilinhot

Xilinhot (Mongolian: ; Chinese: 锡林浩特市) is a county-level city which serves as the seat of government for the Xilingol League in Inner Mongolia, China. In 2010, it has a jurisdiction area of 14,785 km$^2$ (5,709 sq mi) and a population of 245,886; 149,000 people live in the Xilinhot urban area.

## History

During the Ming dynasty, the elder brother of Genghis Khan lived in Xilinhot area. As a result, the local Mongols were called Abganar, because Abgal in Mongolian means paternal uncle. When in the first half of the 17th century the Mongols submitted to the Manchu, the Abganar territories were divided into two banners: Abganar-Tszoitsi (Abganar left wing) and Abganar-Yuitsi (Abganar right wing). These wings were commanded by men in the rank of princes beile. The Abgal (阿巴嘎) and Hotsit (浩齊特) tribes also lived in the area. Xinlihot was renamed Beizi Temple (貝子廟) after the Qianlong Emperor built the Beizi Temple in 1743. Today, the Beizi temple is one of the largest temples on the Xilin Gol grassland.
In 1914, Beizi Temple was included in the newly founded Chahar Special Administrative Region, which became the Chahar Province in 1928. Later it was included in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In 1953, the county was renamed Xilinhot, and then Abahanaer Banner in 1956. In 1983, it was approved for classification as a county-level city by the state council, and once more renamed Xilinhot.

## Geography

The elevation of Xilinhot is approximately 990 m (3,250 ft). The city is 610 and 620 km (380 and 390 mi) from Beijing and Hohhot (the capital of Inner Mongolia), respectively.

### Climate

Xilinhot experiences a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with long, very dry, and bitter winters and short, hot summers. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from −18.8 °C (−1.8 °F) in January to 21.6 °C (70.9 °F) in July, with an annual mean temperature of 3.04 °C (37.5 °F). With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 59 percent in July to 73 percent in February, sunshine is abundant year-round. The city receives 2,970 hours of sunshine per year; due to the aridity, the diurnal temperature variation frequently approaches and exceeds 15 °C (27 °F). Most of the 264 mm (10.4 in) of annual rainfall occurs in July and August.
Climate data for Xilinhot, elevation 1,003 m (3,291 ft), (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1939-present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8.0 (46.4) | 14.5 (58.1) | 22.4 (72.3) | 32.3 (90.1) | 36.6 (97.9) | 37.4 (99.3) | 39.8 (103.6) | 39.4 (102.9) | 36.1 (97.0) | 28.4 (83.1) | 19.1 (66.4) | 9.3 (48.7) | 39.8 (103.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −11.8 (10.8) | −6.1 (21.0) | 3.3 (37.9) | 13.5 (56.3) | 21.1 (70.0) | 26.0 (78.8) | 28.4 (83.1) | 27.0 (80.6) | 21.4 (70.5) | 11.7 (53.1) | 0.1 (32.2) | −9.6 (14.7) | 10.4 (50.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −18.5 (−1.3) | −13.7 (7.3) | −4.2 (24.4) | 6.0 (42.8) | 13.8 (56.8) | 19.2 (66.6) | 22.1 (71.8) | 20.2 (68.4) | 13.8 (56.8) | 4.2 (39.6) | −6.7 (19.9) | −15.7 (3.7) | 3.4 (38.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −23.7 (−10.7) | −19.8 (−3.6) | −10.8 (12.6) | −1.3 (29.7) | 6.4 (43.5) | 12.6 (54.7) | 16.1 (61.0) | 13.9 (57.0) | 7.0 (44.6) | −2.1 (28.2) | −12.1 (10.2) | −20.8 (−5.4) | −2.9 (26.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −41.1 (−42.0) | −37.2 (−35.0) | −32.8 (−27.0) | −17.7 (0.1) | −8.9 (16.0) | −1.1 (30.0) | 6.0 (42.8) | 1.0 (33.8) | −7.8 (18.0) | −20.0 (−4.0) | −30.0 (−22.0) | −37.8 (−36.0) | −41.1 (−42.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 2.5 (0.10) | 2.9 (0.11) | 5.1 (0.20) | 9.0 (0.35) | 27.6 (1.09) | 55.3 (2.18) | 77.1 (3.04) | 52.7 (2.07) | 22.5 (0.89) | 13.5 (0.53) | 7.3 (0.29) | 4.5 (0.18) | 280 (11.03) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 7.3 | 11.0 | 12.6 | 9.2 | 6.7 | 4.6 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 80.4 |
| Average snowy days | 8.0 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 3.9 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 3.5 | 7.5 | 9.3 | 48.1 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 70 | 65 | 52 | 38 | 39 | 50 | 58 | 57 | 51 | 53 | 61 | 69 | 55 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 205.5 | 215.6 | 264.0 | 267.5 | 289.9 | 278.3 | 280.6 | 285.4 | 260.8 | 233.8 | 195.8 | 187.5 | 2,964.7 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 71 | 72 | 71 | 66 | 63 | 60 | 61 | 67 | 71 | 70 | 69 | 68 | 67 |
| Source: China Meteorological Administrationall-time extreme temperature ||||||||||||||

## Administrative divisions

Xilinhot is divided into 8 subdistricts, 1 town, and 3 sums.
| Name | Simplified Chinese | Hanyu Pinyin | Mongolian (Hudum Script) | Mongolian (Cyrillic) | Administrative division code |
| Subdistricts ||||||
| Xar Tal Subdistrict | 希日塔拉街道 | Xīrìtǎlā Jiēdào | ᠰᠢᠷᠠᠲᠠᠯ᠎ᠠ ᠵᠡᠭᠡᠯᠢ ᠭᠤᠳᠤᠮᠵᠢ | Шартал зээл гудамж | 152502001 |
| Bulgan Subdistrict | 宝力根街道 | Bǎolìgēn Jiēdào | ᠪᠤᠯᠠᠭᠠᠨ ᠵᠡᠭᠡᠯᠢ ᠭᠤᠳᠤᠮᠵᠢ | Булган зээл гудамж | 152502002 |
| Hanggai Subdistrict | 杭盖街道 | Hánggài Jiēdào | ᠬᠠᠩᠭᠠᠢ ᠵᠡᠭᠡᠯᠢ ᠭᠤᠳᠤᠮᠵᠢ | Хангай зээл гудамж | 152502003 |
| Qulgan Subdistrict | 楚古兰街道 | Chǔgǔlán Jiēdào | ᠴᠢᠭᠤᠯᠭᠠᠨ ᠵᠡᠭᠡᠯᠢ ᠭᠤᠳᠤᠮᠵᠢ | Чуулган зээл гудамж | 152502004 |
| Erden Subdistrict | 额尔敦街道 | É'ěrdūn Jiēdào | ᠡᠷᠳᠡᠨᠢ ᠵᠡᠭᠡᠯᠢ ᠭᠤᠳᠤᠮᠵᠢ | Эрдэн зээл гудамж | 152502005 |
| Nanjiao Subdistrict | 南郊街道 | Nánjiāo Jiēdào | ᠡᠮᠦᠨ᠎ᠡ ᠲᠡᠭᠦᠷᠭᠡ ᠶᠢᠨ ᠵᠡᠭᠡᠯᠢ ᠭᠤᠳᠤᠮᠵᠢ | Өмнө дүүрээгийн зээл гудамж | 152502006 |
| Bayan Qagan Subdistrict | 巴彦查干街道 | Bāyànchágān Jiēdào | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠨᠴᠠᠭᠠᠨ ᠵᠡᠭᠡᠯᠢ ᠭᠤᠳᠤᠮᠵᠢ | Баянцагаан зээл гудамж | 152502007 |
| Bayan Xil Subdistrict | 巴彦锡勒街道 | Bāyànxīlè Jiēdào | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠨᠰᠢᠯᠢ ᠵᠡᠭᠡᠯᠢ ᠭᠤᠳᠤᠮᠵᠢ | Баяншл зээл гудамж | 152502008 |
| Town ||||||
| Arxan Bulag Town | 阿尔善宝拉格镇 | Ā'ěrshànbǎolāgé Zhèn | ᠷᠠᠰᠢᠶᠠᠨᠪᠤᠯᠠᠭ ᠪᠠᠯᠭᠠᠰᠤ | Рашаанбулаг балгас | 152502100 |
| Sums ||||||
| Bulgan Sum | 宝力根苏木 | Bǎolìgēn Sūmù | ᠪᠤᠯᠠᠭᠠᠨ ᠰᠤᠮᠤ | Булган сум | 152502200 |
| Qog Ul Sum | 朝克乌拉苏木 | Cháokèwūlā Sūmù | ᠴᠣᠭᠠ᠋ᠭᠤᠯᠠ ᠰᠤᠮᠤ | Цугуул сум | 152502201 |
| Bayan Bulag Sum | 巴彦宝拉格苏木 | Bāyànbǎolāgé Sūmù | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠨᠪᠤᠯᠠᠭ ᠰᠤᠮᠤ | Баянбулаг сум | 152502202 |
Others:
* Xilin Gol Economic-Technological Development Area (锡林郭勒盟经济技术开发区)
* Bayan Hure Ranch (白银库伦牧场)
* Bileg Ranch (贝力克牧场)
* Modon Ranch (毛登牧场)

## Economy

The market of the area is centered in Xilinhot and cattle is of particular importance. The rural area of Xilinhot consists of surface mining pits for coal.

## Culture and tourism

The historic center of Xilinhot contains an artistic temple.
The Naadam festival, a Mongolian feast, is celebrated every year. Naadam is a gathering of the Mongolian people that involves wrestling, horse trading, costume contests, horse racing, etc. It's the Mongolian summer festival with festival attendees wearing colorful costumes. Colorful yurts are set up to serve food and trinkets and supplies.
Mongolian culture is prevalent in the city scene; tapestries and monumental statues of Genghis Khan adorn homes, shops, and street corners.
Tourists can stay at nearby yurt resorts, where there are large yurts for dining surrounded by smaller individual yurts for sleeping. The Xilinhot countryside is marked by rolling grasslands populated by Mongolians who keep horses, sheep, goats, and cows. Mongolian meals consist of mutton, beef, cabbage, and other fruits and vegetables.

## Cuisine

The diet of the area is centered around the local dairy and meat production. Products regularly eaten by residents include horse milk yogurt, milk, tofu, milk skin, beef and mutton string, hand meat, and grilled lamb.

## Transportation

Xilinhot Airport has regular flights to Beijing on Air China and China United Airlines. The airport is also served by Tianjin Airlines with multiple daily flights to Hohhot and a seasonal daily flight to Tianjin; there are also occasional direct flights to other major cities.
The K7917 train connects Xilinhot with the national rail network and departs daily for Hohhot and Baotou.
China National Highway 207 and China National Highway 303 both terminate in the Xilinhot area. The S27 Xilingol-Kalgan Expressway also ends in a suburb of Xilinhot.