Xilinhot

Xilinhot is a county-level city serving as the prefectural seat of government for the Xilingol League in Inner Mongolia, China. Spanning a jurisdiction area of 14,785 square kilometers, the municipality supports an urban population of 149,000 within a total recorded population of 245,886, situated at an approximate elevation of 990 meters.

A major historical turning point for the locality unfolded in 1743 when the Qianlong Emperor ordered the construction of the Beizi Temple, leading to the area being renamed after the sanctuary. During the Ming dynasty, descendants of the elder brother of Genghis Khan lived in the region, and local Mongols became known as Abganar because the Mongolian word Abgal translates to paternal uncle. When these populations submitted to the Manchu during the first half of the 17th century, their territories were divided into the Abganar-Tszoitsi and Abganar-Yuitsi banners commanded by princes holding the rank of beile, while the Abgal and Hotsit tribes also inhabited the vicinity.

The administrative framework evolved substantially through the twentieth century. In 1914, Beizi Temple was incorporated into the Chahar Special Administrative Region, which later transitioned into Chahar Province in 1928. Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the region was integrated into the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. State designations shifted when the county was renamed Xilinhot in 1953, briefly designated as Abahanaer Banner in 1956, and finally re-established as the county-level city of Xilinhot in 1983 by approval of the state council.

Today, the regional market centers in Xilinhot, where cattle and surface mining pits for coal shape the local economy, and transportation links include Xilinhot Airport alongside national highways terminating in the area.