Today it is a blend of old and new with modern commercial establishments dotting the downtown area while the southern part retains its link with the past in its old, narrow streets built of brick and roof tiles. Hohhot is popular with tourists due to the number of historic attractions. The Tomb of Wang Zhaojun is a favorite. This is the burial site of a Chinese princess from the Tang Dynasty who married the king of Mongolia in order to bring peace between the two countries. It is primarily a huge grassy mound atop which rests a pavilion.
Visitors can get to the top by climbing a series of steep steps.
From there one is treated to a panoramic view of the city while taking a much needed rest in order to make the descent. Another interesting site is the Buddhist Wuta Si Temple which was built in 1727. It is composed of five pagodas in the Indian style of architecture. Stored within one of these pagodas is an antique Mongolian Cosmological map which marks the position of hundreds of stars. One cannot leave Hohhot without a visit to the gigantic racetrack, the largest in all of China.