Ningxia has many historical sites and scenic spots, including landscapes as beautiful as those in the southern areas of the Yangtze River and the magnificent deserts of northwest China. The different styles of mosques and the elegant and simple Buddhist pagodas vie with each other to show their beauty.

 

Major Scenic Spots

Shahu Lake

A famous scenic spot in northwest China, it borders the Yellow River in the east and the Helan Mountains in the west. The extensive lake looks like the sea, and the sand around it looks like silk.

Shapotou

At the southern end of the Tengger Desert, west of the Yellow River, Shapotou is famous for its Singing Sand and well known at home and abroad for desertification-control projects. Here, one can cross the Yellow River on a sheepskin raft rowed by a Hui boatman. The trip is safe and full of wit and humor. On the raft, one can enjoy the natural beauty of the surroundings.

The Pagoda in Chengtian Temple, Yinchuan

The pagoda, also known as the Western Pagoda, was built in 1050, and the area has been a sacred Buddhist shrine since the Western Xia Kingdom. It is said that after the death of Li Yuanhao, the founding emperor of  the Western Xia Kingdom, the one-year-old Prince Yi Zong came to the throne. The empress dowager ordered the construction of this temple and pagoda, hoping that the prince might have a long life and that the kingdom might last. Atop the pagoda, tourists can see the whole city. The sound of the bell in the temple is one of the eight famous ancient tourist attractions in Ningxia.

Haibao Pagoda, Yinchuan

The pagoda is also known as Northern Pagoda and is under state protection. Built in the 5th century, square-shaped, and standing on a huge base, it is delicate and has a style of its own. This ancient pagoda is one of the eight famous ancient tourist attractions in Ningxia.

Mausoleum of the Kings of the Western Xia Kingdom

The mausoleum is on the eastern slope of the Helan Mountains, 30 kilometers from Yinchuan. All the kings of the Western Xia Kingdom were buried here. The mausoleum measures 10 kilometers from north to south and four kilometers from east to west and houses nine tombs of kings and 70 tombs of attendants. Three of the tombs have been excavated, and cultural relics have been found in great quantities. The magnificent and imposing mausoleum is under state protection.

The Cliff Carvings on the Helan Mountains

The many cliff carvings from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) are mainly found on the Helan Mountains, northwest of Yinchuan, and in Menzigou of Guangwukou, southwest of Qingtongxia City. More than 300 carvings, mostly depicting animals and hunting, extend for 600 meters. There are also inscriptions in the Western Xia language. These cliff carvings are vivid, simple in design, and bold in lines.

Golden Itineraries

Two-day trip to Yinchuan and the Mausoleum of the Kings of the Western Xia Kingdom

First day: a visit to Qingcai in the suburbs of Yinchuan, the pagoda in Chengtian Temple, Zhongshan Park, and Haibao Pagoda.

Second day: a visit to the Mausoleum of the Kings of the Western Xia Kingdom, and back to Yinchuan in the evening.

Tours with Local Features

Drifting Along the Yellow River on a Sheepskin Raft

Drifting along the Yellow River on a sheepskin raft, an ancient means of transportation, is full of wit and humor.

Riding a Camel

Riding on the back of a camel, one can travel on the Tengger Desert, one of the three largest deserts in China, and enjoy the mysterious desert scenery.

 

(NEW STAR PUBLISHER: ENTERING WEST CHINA)