包头市

Why this place

Baotou is Inner Mongolia's industrial city, built on steel and rare earths. But the grasslands begin right at the edge of town, and the Yellow River runs along the south — it is a good place to see the transition from industrial China to steppe in a single day.

What to see

• Meidaizhao Monastery — a Tibetan Buddhist temple that looks like a small fortress with a city wall
• Wudangzhao, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Inner Mongolia, in the Yin Mountains
• Xilamuren grassland, an hour north, for riding and yurts

What to eat

• Mongolian mutton and dairy, same as Hohhot but with a Baotou accent
• Yellow River carp, braised with vinegar

Best time

July–September for grassland; May–October otherwise