Baotou Between Museums, Steel History and Grassland

Baotou offers unusual contrasts for a trip: at the museum, you can explore the history, folk culture and art of Inner Mongolia; at the Baotou Steel Industrial Tourism Area, the development of the steel industry takes centre stage. Saihan Tala’s urban grassland adds time among meadows and woodland to these themes. Which of these aspects interests you most can help shape your choice of holiday apartment in Baotou.

History and Culture at the Baotou Museum

Founded in December 1998, the Baotou Museum is a national first-class museum. It showcases the cultural heritage and development of civilisation in the western part of Inner Mongolia. Six permanent exhibitions offer different perspectives: three focus on Baotou’s ancient history and culture, its recent and modern history, and its contemporary history. Together, these themes span the city’s earlier eras through to its more recent development.

Other exhibitions broaden the view beyond the city’s history. “史话石说——内蒙古古代岩画陈列” explores the ancient rock art of Inner Mongolia. “鹿城往事——包头民俗文化展” focuses on Baotou’s folk culture, while “菩提工巧——内蒙古唐卡艺术陈列” is devoted to the thangka art of Inner Mongolia. Families can explore a range of interests without limiting the exhibitions to a single historical perspective.

The museum also offers six types of educational and study activities. These include training for young museum interpreters, archaeology and restoration activities, traditional clothing programmes, a treasure hunt and a museum night. On average, it hosts almost 300 themed educational activities each year. This range also makes the museum appealing to families who want to explore culture not only through exhibitions, but through a variety of formats.

Industrial History at Baotou Steel

The Baotou Steel Industrial Tourism Area combines the company’s history and technology with Baotou’s revolutionary heritage. It traces more than 70 years of development and was named a “National Industrial Tourism Demonstration Site” by the State Council in 2006. The combined route includes explanations in exhibition halls, visits to production lines and stops at industrial heritage sites. Historical context, industrial processes and preserved landmarks are all part of the programme.

Baotou Steel is also part of the official route “钢城铸魂・工业寻梦” (“Steel City: Spirit and Industrial Dream”). Visitors interested in technology and industrial history will find a different focus here from that of the cultural and historical exhibitions at the Baotou Museum. When planning your trip, you can consider whether you’d rather focus on city history and art or on the development of the steel industry.

Grassland and Outdoor Activities in Saihan Tala

At Saihan Tala’s urban grassland, you can cycle across the meadows or explore on foot. Sika deer can be spotted in the woodland. Saihan Tala thus offers a nature-focused counterpoint to Baotou’s museum and industrial themes: here, outdoor activities and the landscape itself take centre stage. Depending on your interests, you can explore Baotou through outdoor activities and its landscape, or through its museums and industrial history.

A Glimpse into Baotou’s Industrial Life

The “Baomian 1958” exhibition hall offers another perspective. In an authentic industrial setting, it recreates the scene of a cotton mill from the 1950s. At the same time, it preserves the memories of several generations of Baotou’s older residents. Rather than focusing on the steel industry, the site turns to another side of industrial history and the memories woven into the life of the city. Together with the Baotou Museum and the Industrial Tourism Area, it lets you choose which cultural and industrial themes to prioritise on your trip.

More destinations to explore: Ulanqab, Chifeng, Xilin Gol, Alxa, Wuhai, Tongliao, Hinggan and Hulun Buir.

For the broader travel overview: Inner Mongolia.