The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, bordering to the north with both the Republic of Mongolia and Russia, is the widest province in China (by its latitude).

It is the third largest Chinese province (over 1.1 million square kilometers or 424,736 square miles) but not very populated. The province has about 24 million inhabitants.

Many ethnic groups are living in this area including Mongolian, Daur, Oroqen, Ewenki, Hui, Han, Korea and Manchu.

Hohhot is the capital of Inner Mongolia.

When to go

Climate in Inner Mongolia is very different during the year.

Winter is cold and can be very long, with frequent blizzards.

Usually summer is short and warm.

The climate changes from arid to semi-humid from west to east, and to humid in the northeast. The annual rainfall is 80 - 450 millimeters, also increasing from west to east.

The main feature of the climate here is that the different in temperature between days and nights is very big, so tourists should wear layer of clothes when traveling here.

What to see

Inner Mongolia has a peculiar natural scenery, long history and brilliant culture.

There are many historic sites in this area. You can also visit deserts in Inner Mongolia. The deserts are located in the western part of the province: the most famous and visited ones are the Badain Jaran Desert, Tengger Desert and Kubuqi Desert. Early autumn (from the middle of August to the end of September) is the best time to explore the desert as the temperatures are very temperate.