Hohhot, capital of Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has made great strides since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. It is now recognized as the political, economic, scientific, and cultural center of Inner Mongolia, as well as one of China's most well-known historic cities.

It is also known as a “national forest city” and a “model tourist city” due to its abundance of natural resources. 

In 1954, the city of Guisui had its name changed to Hohhot. In 1986, Hohhot was recognized as a historic city by the State Council.

In 2018, the city's regional GDP reached 290.35 billion yuan ($40.8 billion), 1,045 times higher than in 1949, and the per capita GDP exceeded 93,000 yuan, 239 times higher than in 1949.  

Hohhot made 160.3 billion yuan in retail sales of consumer goods in 2018, which was nearly 7,200 times the number in 1949. Its total local fiscal revenue increased from 790,000 yuan in 1949 to 48.27 billion yuan in 2018. 

Hohhot’s GDP growth rate has ranked first among the 27 capital cities in China for seven consecutive years. After 70 years of development, Hohhot now has a construction area of 260 square kilometers, almost 28 times higher than in 1949, and a resident population of 3.126 million. 

The city's infrastructure has also continued to improve, and great efforts have been made to develop a modern transportation system. 

Due to a series of measures and policies implemented by the city government, the innovative capabilities of local industries have significantly increased. In early 1959, annual financial investment in scientific research in the city was only about 2 million yuan. By 2018, the number had reached 1.53 billion yuan. 

The city has built one national-level high-tech zone, two characteristic industrial centers, two autonomous region-level high-tech zones, and six high-tech characteristic industrial centers.

More than 300 research and development (R&D) institutions have been established in the city, and more than 70 percent of the city’s high-tech enterprises have established their own R&D institutions, which have become new engines of regional economic growth.