It’s officially been a month and a half living in China. Hohhot to be exact. I’m finally adjusting to life here, although communication is still an issue. I’ve yet to learn Mandarin, but otherwise, I think I’m doing alright for a first-timer.
Prior to moving to China, I was looking for a lifestyle similar to what I’ve found here. It’s everything from living outside the U.S., accessible international travel and public transportation, and exposure to new cultures, languages, and ways of living.
After living a month in Ecuador during my undergraduate, I realized how simple yet so full my life felt. I knew that if a month could do that, it was worth trying long-term.
Exactly 7 months later, I now find myself living in China. I didn’t expect myself to land here, but that’s the beauty of life. You really don’t know where it’ll take you.
So what’s it like living in China, and particularly Hohhot? Besides it being literally life-changing, it’s fairly peaceful and greatly underrated. I’ve yet to discover so much of the culture, but from my short time I’ve learned enough to know this place is full of gems.
About Hohhot
Pronounced Hu·he·hot, or Hu·he·hao·te in Mandarin, it means “blue city” in Mongolian. Hohhot is located in the northern part of China and is the administrative capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It roughly has a total population of 2.8 million people and continues to grow. Although compared to many cities in China, it’s considered a mid-sized Chinese city.
Founded by Altan Khan in the 16th century, the city has extensive Mongolian and Chinese history. Both Mandarin and Mongolian are the official languages, although most speak Mandarin and particularly the Hohhot dialect.
The majority of the ethnic population in Hohhot are Han Chinese, Mongol being the second largest, and minimal Hui (Chinese Muslim), Manchu, Daur, Korean, and Miao minorities. From the diverse cultural make-up, it’s normal to see intersections of different cultural elements in the architecture, food, rituals, and more.
When to visit
The best time to visit Hohhot is from April to October. The weather during these months is a lot more tolerable, considering the long dry, and cold winters. Although the average temperature during the winter is -10 degrees Celcius, the temperature can go well past -20 degrees Celcius during the coldest month of January. Summers are somewhat humid (max 29 degrees Celcius), with strong wind during the spring.
Also, to conceptualize how cold it can get during the winters, remember it’s not too far from Russia.
What to see
Commonly visited attractions
- Dazhou Temple
- Saishang Old Street
- Five Pagoda Temple
- The Great Mosque
- Islamic Style Street
- Inner Mongolia Museum
- Qingcheng Park
- Daqing Mountain
If you’re looking for a more detailed description with images and reviews of all these places, Trip Advisor can help with that.
Hohhot and the surrounding cities are also well-known for their grasslands, such as the Xilamuren Grassland in Hohhot and Ordos Grassland in Ordos.
Culture
As I mentioned earlier, Hohhot has a long history of both Mongolian and Chinese culture. You’ll always find signs on buildings, streets, markets, etc. written in both languages, along with announcements on flights, buses, and trains.
There is a deep influence and imprint of Tibetan Buddhism, whether in the monastery and temple architecture, religious arts, liturgical music, and scriptural learning. This also goes for the entirety of the Inner Mongolia Region, due to the indigenous cultural practices of the Mongol people.
When visiting the grasslands you will primarily see the preservation of the traditional lifestyle of Mongol and Chinese people who have kept their ways of living, primarily through farming.
Hohhot also has a relatively visible Muslim population living in the city. Muslims in this area have created a space of their own, with various mosques, halal cuisine, markets, and architectural splendors reflecting both Chinese and Islamic culture.
Life in Hohhot
Life in Hohhot is very mellow. Considering how much movement goes on in the city, everyone moves relatively slowly, especially pedestrians.
There’s a balance between the old and the new, and I see it in the way the people live, and in the environment.
Early mornings and evenings I’ll find older men and women congregated in large open spaces dancing. To see how lively they are is so beautiful. I just pray I’m just as fabulous to still have the love to dance at an old age.
My day-to-day life is quite busy, working weekends at my training school and 3 weekdays at different public schools. It can be manageable, but personally, it feels overwhelming at times. I’m slowly getting the hang of it all, but I also acknowledge that I’ve yet to fully feel comfortable in this new space.
Prior to coming to China, I did enough research to understand that my foreignness may not be taken easily. Honestly, though, you never know enough until you go through a thing.
I’m stared at constantly, even from afar. Being in a crowded bus becomes torturous sometimes, and there’ll always be people who want to stare uncontrollably. My instinct is to go into defensive mode, but I’m learning to take a step back and understand the situation. Foreigners tend to be a novelty around here, and I’m really seeing how that manifests in the way people react when they see a non-Chinese person.
Many of the stares can be out of confusion from my foreignness, especially from older individuals and young children, and other times it’s just out of curiosity. Nothing threatening as far as I am concerned.
At the same time, I’ve had many people show genuine kindness toward me. Many attempts to communicate with me and I do my best with the little Chinese I know. The frequent smiles I receive also warm my heart and allow me to appreciate how powerful a small act like this can be.
Being a Muslim in Hohhot
I don’t know about you, but I grew up being amazed when I heard x country had Muslims. China being one of them.
I actually learned about Muslims in China while researching different types of Islamic architecture in my art class in my senior year of high school. Falling in love with the traditional Chinese and Islamic architecture, I chose to paint the Great Mosque of Xi’an, only to find that one day I’d be in the same country.
I share this because to this day this story and how time works amaze me. But also, to shed light on how misinformed and uninformed we truly are of the world when we don’t venture outside of our own box.
I’ve only lived in China for a month and a half, and yet I feel a kind of safeness for my Muslim-ness here that I otherwise wouldn’t feel back home.
Living in Hohhot and being situated in the Muslim district of the city, it’s been very convenient for me to access mosques, halal food, and markets geared towards Muslims. It’s not uncommon to find Muslims and halal restaurants all around the city as well.
There’s a total of 12 mosques in Hohhot, and most are within the perimeters of where I live and work.
My experience being visibly Muslim and non-Chinese, people are bound to be surprised by my presence. As mentioned before, the stares are constant and the questions about my whereabouts are always the start of a conversation.
As for the Muslim community in Hohhot, they’ve been a complete blessing. Starting with my manager and a couple of my co-workers. Who knew I’d land in a city in China with a thriving and beautiful community like this.
Most of the individuals I’ve met have been from the mosque and the market, and sometimes they ask for selfies. It’s always the aunties lol. I also have many Muslim students, and whose families are slowly becoming like family to me.
Times like these make me realize how vast the world has been created, and yet at any moment in time, we can cross paths with people we never imagined.
Being so far from family and home has really taught me that despite where I’m placed on this earth, I will always find common ground. Even in spaces I least expect it.
Something about this place and where I’m mentally at is teaching me how important and impactful it is for me to firmly practice my faith, hold and appreciate my blackness, and love my solitude entirely. I’m learning to find peace with the unknown, and how much I needed this change.
My experience isn’t the most glamorous, but it’s left me with endless stories and beautiful lessons. Stories of realism. One of the most important aspects of life we should indulge in because realism is boundless.
Food
If you’re looking to visit China as a Muslim traveler, the best way to spot a halal restaurant is obviously by 1). searching online, 2). being near a mosque/Muslim quarter, or 3). scouting for Arabic writing followed by Chinese. Below the Arabic letters, حلال is the Chinese characters 清真 (qing-zhen), meaning halal. Remember these Chinese characters!
In Hohhot, I’ve come across a plethora of halal options. The majority of the halal restaurants are located on Islam Style Street and even past the long road. You’ll never feel like your options for food are limited, and the different varieties of Chinese cuisine are also plenty.
Some of my favorite halal dishes
- Lanzhou noodles
- Braised beef
- Fried fish
- Dumplings
- Malatang, or spicy hot pot
Hohhot is also known for its meat and dairy products. There are 2 large dairy companies located in Hohhot, them being Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group and China Mengniu Dairy.
The food here also has a mixture of Chinese and Mongolian influences, so flavors and dishes will vary depending on which part of China you’re in.
Commonly known food/delicacies in Hohhot
- Dried meat
- Milk products (milk tea, milk sweets, yogurt drinks)
- Mongolian hot pot
- Shaomai
- Meat/vegetable steamed buns
- Roasted mutton
I’ve become quite accustomed to food in Hohhot for the most part. I’m not one to eat out much, but the times I do, I’ve had some really good experiences. I’d say the best food I’ve tried has always been with my co-workers, obviously. They know all the fine spots and they’re all halal. So far I have two favorite places to eat, along with local bread shops I go to. Lots of vegetables, meats, noodles, and more.
It’s only a matter of time before I become an expert on all the best places to eat at!
Grocery Shopping
Grocery shopping has been my favorite. Even though I don’t find everything easily, fruits and vegetables are always easily identifiable. I’m the type that has the need to smell or lightly taste things, so this has helped me.
Local street markets tend to run cheaper and they’re everywhere. They’ll be located near residential areas and randomly scattered all across the city. They are the most convenient and accessible. I usually spend a solid 30-60 yuan ($5-$10) on groceries per week, which includes all my fruits and vegetables, and the occasional munchies.
For larger items or things that aren’t stocked in small groceries I go to the supermarket, and on average spend about 130-260 yuan ($20-$40) which typically lasts me a month or longer.
I’m a very conscious shopper so I do my best to not overspend on unnecessary items even if the prices are affordable.
To give a better estimate of the living expenses in Hohhot, you can find more info here. Some of the food prices listed in my opinion are a little exaggerated, but I guess it really depends on the area and how you shop.
Getting around the city
Public transportation in Hohhot is very accessible. This also goes for most Chinese cities. There will always be a transport system accommodating the people, whether buses, metro, taxis, city bikes, and long-distance trains and buses.
In the inner city of Hohhot, it’s common for people to travel by car, bus, bike, or taxi. Hohhot doesn’t have a metro yet, although they are constructing the first metro line to open in 2021.
I frequently take the bus, walk, and sometimes take a taxi when the destination is further or I’m not familiar with the area. The bus fare is 1 yuan ($0.15), and the taxi fare starts from 8 yuan ($1.25).
I’ve been in buses where it’s literally full to the door, and you just have to wait until people start exiting the nowhere-to-be-seen door. And the funny thing is, despite how full it is, the bus driver still tells you to make room for more passengers, and surprisingly there’s always room.
I’ve had thoughts of possibly buying a bike or renting one for the day, but I’d rather spare my life. Drivers are quite reckless, and will literally trample over you if you don’t move in time. The same goes for those walking on a busy road. There are city bikes scattered all around the city, so anyone can rent one off the street for a very minimal cost of 15 yuan a month ($2.30).
Traveling to different cities in China, there are trains that go all over the country and long-distance buses that go to nearby cities. Both are economical ways of traveling, and one I look forward to having access to.
Pollution
Air pollution is a large issue in China and for the most part, all cities will range from good, moderate, unhealthy, to even dangerous. China heavily consumes coal and as a result, this is the primary reason for the polluted air.
To find out how the air quality is, there are AQI (Air Quality Index) apps or even the weather app preinstalled in your phone that will always tell. No matter where you are in China, it’s necessary to be aware of the air quality for health reasons.
- How to determine healthy/unhealthy AQI levels
- How to track AQI in real-time based on the city
- Rank of cities in real-time by air pollution (most polluted/cleanest city)
Hohhot has relatively good air, with frequent moderate days, and unhealthy days primarily during the winter. On days I forget to check the AQI, I usually keep a mask with me just in case or look up at the sky to see if there is abnormal fog. This city is known for its clear blue skies so bad days aren’t hard to miss.
The rate of smoking is also an issue. It’s very normal to find people smoking indoors, whether in restaurants, cars, or homes as if the outside isn’t enough. I’ve had a hard time getting used to this, especially because I’m sensitive to the smell.
There have been days when my neighbor may be smoking outside the apartment door and the smell begins to seep into my door. Or even worse, when I smell it coming from my bathroom pipes. Like y’all, I’m too young and fabulous to be a second-hand smoker.
Regardless, I will survive!
Phew, that was a lot to say and it was worth documenting what I’ve learned so far in this new place. My new home, and one I am excited to be sharing with all who stop by.
If you’ve read this far, thanks for following the journey, and hope you continue to stick around 🙂
~peace & love
