China: Hohhot – Dazhao Temple

The city of Hohhot is next, this is in Inner Mongolia region. Th city dates back over 2300 years and Hohhot means ”Blue Sky” in Mongolian – the city is surrounded by endless grasslands. For centuries, it served as a critical node on the Sulk Road, acting as a crossroads for Han Chinese culture and northern ethnic groups. One of the biggest attractions in Hohhot is the Dazhao Temple – one of the oldest and most significant Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in China, established in 1579. It is often called the “Infinite Temple,” it’s a hybrid of Han and Tibetan architecture and houses the so-called Three Marvelous Treasures: a 2.5m silver Sakyamuni Buddha, 10m golden pillars with carved dragons, and intricate Ming Dynasty murals. After the visit of the 3rd Dalai Lama in 1586, the temple became a primary pilgrimage site for Mongolians, transforming Hohhot into a major regional center.