Hu-ho-hao-t'e

— In a region as large and sparsely populated as this, it is not surprising that there are few cities. Hu-ho-hao-t’e and Pao-t’ou are the two ranking cities of Inner Mongolia. Hu-ho-hao-t’e, the capital of the region, is one of China's famous ancient cities; it was once a trade center to which the wool, hides, food, and medicine from the surrounding grasslands were brought. The city formerly had a small population which fluctuated seasonally; the present level is more stable, at approximately 150,000-200,000.