Located in the city of Hohhot, which is part of the North China Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the Inner Mongolia Museum is unique among museums in China. The museum houses rare collections representing the Mongols, Xiongnu, Qidan, and other tribes of North China. The museum also contains regional dinosaur bones, a huge fossil collection, and an entire floor dedicated to the life of Genghis Khan.
The museum was built in 1957, which was the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. As the capital of the region, Hohhot was the ideal city to house the regional collections of artifacts that convey the history of Mongolia and other regional tribes that made North China their home. Many of the relics are of great cultural importance to these tribes. The museum houses more than 44,000 objects of ethnic importance that annually attract thousands of visitors from China and around the world.
Built in a style that reflects both traditional northern architecture and contemporary functionality, the museum is comprised of two main floors. The first floor is divided into several sections that denote special exhibitions; these exhibitions are devoted to the imperial garments and ornaments worn by Mongolian kings and the upper classes, regional folk art and relics, ancient regional history and prehistory (dinosaur bones and fossils are contained here), and displays of contemporary achievements of Han Chinese in the region. The second floor contains exhibits illustrating the life of Genghis Khan. The unique exhibition also pays tribute to other Khans such as Kublai Khan.
Travelers are particularly interested in seeing the extensive collection of costumes for women. The museum is also famous for the religious artifacts it unearthed after archaeological excavations began in the north. Objects related to equestrian cultures, such as saddles and hunting implements, are also of special interest to visitors to the museum. However, the fossilized remains of dinosaurs and other ancient creatures like woolly mammoths continue to draw crowds to the museum. In fact, the museum houses one of the largest dinosaur skeletons in the country – a brontosaurus. Given that Inner Mongolia is considered the “Land of Fossils”, it is not surprising that this museum houses such a famous collection of Mesozoic fossils.
As the Mongol Empire once reigned from the eastern coast of China to Turkey, this monumental empire and its culture left behind many objects. Having a museum dedicated to its cultural importance is a great source of pride for the people of the region. Open daily from 9:00 to 5:00, the museum is an essential North China attraction, illuminating the history of the Mongols and other northern tribes.
2011 Moira G Gallaga ©