The Inner Mongolia Art Museum, a relatively recent addition to Hohhot's cultural institutions, focuses on contemporary and traditional art by artists from the region — painters working in both Chinese and Mongolian traditions, sculptors working with steppe themes, and a good collection of traditional Mongolian decorative art including elaborate saddle covers, embroidered clothing, and silver ornaments. The contemporary collection is uneven in quality but includes some striking work by artists grappling with the tension between Mongolian cultural identity and Chinese modernity.
The museum is free or has a very modest entry fee and is rarely crowded. The building's architecture is notable — it uses elements of traditional Mongolian design in a modernist frame, a combination that could go wrong but mostly doesn't. The museum shop sells better-quality prints and craft items than the market stalls near Dazhao and is worth a look even if you don't buy.