A necessary station on the ancient Silk Road, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region is on the upper reaches of the Yellow River in the western part of China. The summer time in Ningxia is shorter than in other regions, and because of its altitude (above 1,000 meters), the summer heat rarely bothers the people here, which makes Ningxia a wonderful place to escape the damp, scorched city.

Xixia Emperor Tombs

Xixia Emperor Tombs site, the biggest site of Xixia Dynasty culture, is at the eastern mountain foot of Helan Mountain in the western outskirts, about 35 kilometers away from downtown Yinchuan, capital city of Ningxia. The site covers 50 square meters and includes tombs of the nine emperors of Xixia (Western Xia) Dynasty (AD 1038-1227) and more than 140 tombs for princes, dukes and ministers.

At present, light and sound facilities are installed into the tomb sites. When night falls, the whole tomb site will shine with yellow and blue light. Visitors can enter the site by carriages from the east entrance to tour the whole site.

Opening time: tomb area opens from 8am to 7pm; museums open from 8am to 9pm
Ticket: 40 yuan
Tel: 0951-6119590
How to get there: Take a coach from Yinchuan to Bayin, which passes Xixia Emperor Tombs site. It will take you about one hour to get there. A more convenient way is to take a No. 2 coach and get off at the stop of Xixia Square, then go to the site by taxi.

Helan Rock Painting

Ancient people used to use rock paintings to record their lives. In Helan Mountain area, to the northwest of Yinchuan city, tens of thousands of rock paintings were discovered in 1969. These paintings show the ancient people¡¯s lives, their hunting, sacrifices, war, ad entertainment. The paintings also include animal patterns such as sheep, cows, horses, and tigers and many abstract symbols.

The most representative painting in Helan rock paintings is the painting of the God of the Sun. It was carved on the rock more than 40 meters above the land. The God of the Sun was carved in human form, indicating people¡¯s worship of the sun in ancient times. Open: 8am to 7pm

Ticket: 25 yuan
Tel: 0951-4108346
How to get there: Take the coach from Nanmen Square, Yinchuan, to Zhenbeipu Town and then take a taxi from Zhenbeipu Town to Helankou, which will cost you about 15 yuan.

1

2