Plan at a glance
A city temple and an Aobao hill
Beizi Temple stands on Beizi Temple Street (贝子庙街) in downtown Xilinhot. Founded in 1743, the eighth year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, it combines Mongolian, Chinese, and Tibetan architectural styles. A short temple visit takes about 30–40 minutes; adding the climb at E'erdun Aobao takes about 1.5–2 hours in total and includes 171 steps.
Opening hours and admission
Admission is free and no reservation is required. The Xilinhot city directory lists peak-season hours as 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. daily, and off-season weekday hours as 8:30–11:30 a.m. and 2:30–5:30 p.m. Check the dates for peak season and off-season weekend hours for your visit.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
Choose your visit
Halls, red walls, and prayer wheels
Eight main halls line the central axis, with Chaokeqin Hall (朝克沁殿) as its most representative hall. Minggan Hall (明干殿) and Que'ri Hall (却日殿) are also among the main halls, alongside halls for esoteric Buddhism, medicine, astronomy, and mathematics. The complex faces south and features red-walled lanes, upturned eaves, carved wooden doors, a corridor of prayer wheels, and prayer flags. Beizi Temple is a nationally protected cultural heritage site and a national 4A-rated tourist attraction. It suits visitors interested in temple architecture, religion, and local history, and families can make a short stop here.
The thirteen Aobao cairns on E'erdun Aobao Hill
The thirteen Aobao cairns on E'erdun Aobao Hill share local worship traditions with Beizi Temple. They are public ritual cairns where both men and women may make offerings. After climbing the hill, you can visit the cairns; visitors can make offerings and walk clockwise around them.
Local history and festivals
A local saying goes, “Beizi Temple came before Xilinhot.” The E'erdun Aobao ceremony is usually held on the 13th day of the fifth lunar month and opens the China Xilinhot International Nomadic Culture Festival. Its Gregorian date changes each year.
Build your day
A 30–40-minute temple visit
Enter through the main gate on the Beizi Temple Square side, follow the central axis to visit the main halls such as Chaokeqin Hall, and return to the same gate. If time is short, focus on the main halls along the axis. This route does not include the hill climb.
A 1.5–2-hour temple-and-Aobao visit
Visit the halls from the main gate, then return to Beizi Temple Square and take an open stairway in the square area up the hill. The stairway has 171 steps, and the round trip takes about 30 minutes. At the thirteen Aobao cairns, walk clockwise, then descend by the same stairs to the square. The temple and hill routes meet at the square; this route does not use a rear temple gate.
Add Xilingol Museum as a separate stop
If you would like to learn more about Xilingol history, visit Xilingol Museum separately and allow time for the transfer and museum visit. The museum is elsewhere in the city, away from the walking route between Beizi Temple and Aobao Hill.
Get there
Navigation and parking
Search for “贝子庙” in your map app. The main gate is on the Beizi Temple Square side, near a stele identifying the temple as a nationally protected cultural heritage site. The temple is in central Xilinhot, and parking is available near the square.
Buses and local transport
The free Beiguang bus route (贝广专线) runs between Xilin Square and Beizi Temple Square. The city lists its hours as 8:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m. daily, with a bus about every eight minutes; it passes the bus station and the E'erdun Road shopping area. You can also take a taxi or cycle within the city. Drivers can navigate to the parking area at Beizi Temple Square.
Know before you go
Entry documents and hall access
Your documents may be checked at the entrance. If you hold a foreign passport, confirm in advance whether it can be used for registration and whether you need to provide any additional information. Some halls may close for a midday break, so plan your temple visit for the morning or afternoon.
Where the murals can be seen
Murals inside the halls have been covered with protective paint. Whether bullet marks are visible depends on which halls are open and what is screened off that day. Enter only halls open to the public; do not enter closed areas.
Steps, weather, and Aobao etiquette
The hill route consists of continuous stairs. Visitors with limited mobility or who prefer to avoid stairs can visit the temple without climbing. Walk clockwise around the Aobao cairns; do not step on the altar or remove stones. On summer climbs, account for strong sun and mosquitoes in the evening.
Nearby food
Near Beizi Temple, Mongolian Baozi King（蒙古包子大王）serves Mongolian buns and meat pies. Dawei Shizuo（大胃食座）, about 800 meters from the square, serves roasted millet mixed with cream. The Chongqing Road branch of Seid Mongolian Restaurant（塞伊德蒙餐）offers roast leg of lamb and lamb tripe stuffed with lamb. For breakfast, Chao'er Beef Noodles（朝尔牛肉面）serves dried-beef noodles, and Lüda Hot Pot（绿达涮府）offers hand-cut fresh lamb.