Baotou is situated on the northern bank of the Yellow River on its Great Bend. The city has an elevation of about 1,050 meters. At the end of 2006, Baotou had 2.43 million registered residents. The city has an estimated population of 1,301,768, the metropolitan area 1,750,000 (2006).
Baotou is a terminus for both the Baolan Railway and the Jingbao Railway, heading for Lanzhou in the west and Beijing in the east, respectively. The city is served by two main railway stations, Baotou East Railway Station, and Baotou Railway Station.
Baotou Airport serves the city with regular service to Beijing, Shanghai and Taiyuan. The city is connected by the Hubao Expressway to Inner Mongolia's capital, Hohhot.
The dining options in Baotou are a strange mix of China's cuisine,the northern preference for wheat is offset by many rice dishes, the westerm preference for beef and mutton is combined with the southern/eastern fascination with pork. Most of the best restaurants are to be found in Donghe, the eastern section of Baotou. Many of these have not got English signs and menus, but you will normally be able to either choose your dishes from the kitchen, or do it yourself with a hotpot.
