The region is highlighting commuter transit times and booming AI economy to entice the capital’s residents
data-centre boom that is driving up demand for talent and investment.
The region’s housing authority, together with officials from Hohhot, Chifeng, Ulanqab, and Duolun county, concluded a three-day property showcase titled “I Have a Home in the Grasslands” in Beijing on Monday, according to the region’s official newspaper. The event presented nearly 20 development projects spanning primary residences, wellness communities, and holiday flats.
Authorities pitched a “dual-city” lifestyle, stressing the high-speed rail that connects Ulanqab to central Beijing in as little as 1.5 hours. Price was another key selling point – average prices for commercial housing across Inner Mongolia were about 5,800 yuan (US$863) per square metre, while Hohhot homes cost roughly one-sixth as much as those in Beijing, the report said.
fuels a scramble for more computing power and electricity, Ulanqab has emerged as a major data-centre hub, with its cool climate and ample renewable energy making it an attractive location for the industry.
Under a three-year plan running through 2028, Ulanqab would focus on green computing for training and running large AI models, while encouraging investment in liquid cooling, computing hardware and AI software and talent.
At the same time, the region’s housing market, like much of China’s, remains under pressure. Sales value and floor area of commercial properties, including residential homes, in Inner Mongolia fell 6.2 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively, in the first half of this year, according to regional government data.