However, long-standing structures such as Dazhao Temple dating back to 1557 survived. In the late 17th century it was dedicated to Qing emperor Kangxi. Around the temple a settlement known as the "Blue Town" grew up, its name changing to Guihua in 1575. Merchants and traders gathered there including a Hui (Muslim) community that had settled north of the gate to the city’s fortress, erecting their mosque in 1693. The city sat on a route that brought the Silk Road round by the Yellow river before striking across today’s northern Shanxi and Hebei toward Beijing. A railway was pushed along that corridor reaching Hohhot in 1921, so reducing dependency on camel caravan connections.
