Once one of the most magnificent monasteries in Inner Mongolia, Guǎngzōng Sì has a stunning setting in the mountains 38km south of Bayanhot. At its height, some 2000 monks lived here. So important was the monastery that the main prayer hall, Gandan Danjaling Sum, contains the remains of the sixth Dalai Lama inside the golden stupa that dominates it.
Tragically, the monastery was demolished during the Cultural Revolution; a 1957 photo in the main prayer hall gives you an idea of how big it once was. The temples have since been rebuilt, but in the last couple of years a hotel, yurt restaurants and a supremely tacky shopping street have been added to the complex to entice domestic tour groups here.
There are good walking trails in the mountains behind the complex; take the path to the right of the main temple and follow it for one hour to a grassy plateau with fantastic views.
From Bayanhot, a taxi to the monastery and then back to the highway (where you can flag down any Yínchuān-bound bus) is ¥120. On your way back to Yínchuān, look out for the crumbling, yet still mighty, remains of the Great Wall at Sānguānkǒu (三关口). Some sections are up to 10m high and 3m wide.
