Like most other provincial capitals, Hohhot boasts a good variety of shopping specialties for travelers with tastes of every kind. This is probably the best place for a general feel for the specialties of the whole province. For souvenir hunters, interesting items include the traditional Mongolian knives, Mongolian carpets, camel hair products, brass hotpots, cashmere sweaters, silver bowls, jade bottles, as well as quality leather boots and clothes. Saddles and other horse gear are also available.

The city is also famous for the natural products that are harvested and used for general consumption purposes and in various traditional local medicines. There are many herbs that can be found here that are known for their curative qualities including liquorice (Gangcao), membranous milk vetch (Huangqi), medlar (Gouqi), ephedrine (Mahuang) and pilose antler (Lurong). All year round an edible black moss (flagelliform nostoc) is used by the Hohhotians in various dishes, good for both its taste and its healthy properties. In summer, you should sample the local melons, which are extraordinarily sweet.

The best place to buy these specialties is the local fairs and markets, where you not only may find the widest range of such items but also are likely to get the lowest possible prices - bargaining is worthwhile. Other areas worth thinking about are the hotels for souvenirs and handicrafts, the shops near to the Inner Mongolian Museum for antiques and the Dazhao and Xilituzhao temples for Buddhist artifacts. The following is a list of the best stores in the city.

Minorities Department Store (Minzu shangchang, Tel: 0471-6968822) on Hongshan xilu, at the intersection with Zhongshan Road. Has a good selection of artifacts and souvenirs including Mongolian robes, hats, jewelry, inlaid knives and boots.

Inner Mongolian Minority Handicraft Factory (Neimenggu minzu gongyipin gongchang) on Shiyangqiao xilu, at the intersection of Nanchafang jie. Smallish selection of goods including inlaid knives with chopsticks, knives, embroidered shoes, brassware, boots and saddles.

Hohhot Antique Shop (Huhehaote guwan shangdian, Tel: 0471-6968430) at 10 Xilin nanlu. Has a small selection of antiques.

Cashmere Products Marketing Center (Yangrou fuzhuang fushi zhixiao zhongxin) opposite the Zhaojun Hotel. A selection of very cheap sweaters of good cashmere.

Xinhua Bookstore (Xinhua shudian) on Xinlinguole beilu, near the intersection with Xinhua dajie.

Foreign Languages Bookstore (Waiwen shudian) on Zhongshan Road, near the intersection with Wenhuagong jie.

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