Top 9 Yinchuan Attractions | Things to Do in Ningxia 2024

Type: Historic Sites, Cemeteries

Best Time: May ~ October

Recommended Visiting Time: 1 ~ 3 hours

Address: East Range of the Helan Mountain, Yinchuan City (宁夏回族自治区银川市西夏区贺兰山东麓)

Western Xia Imperial Tombs, also known as Xixia Imperial Tombs, is a group of tombs of the emperors during the Western Xia Dynasty (1035 -1227). It is the largest survived imperial tombs park in China and the precious archaeological site to study the history of Western Xia Dynasty. It is magic that these tombs are well-preserved in spite of the occurrence of numerous torrential floods.

In the tombs park, there are 9 imperial tombs and more than 250 attendant tombs. Currently, there are only three tombs are open to the public, namely Yu Tomb(No.1 Tomb), Jia Tomb(No.2 Tomb) and Tai Tomb (No.3 Tomb). Tai Tomb, the founding emperor of the Western Xia Dynasty, is the grandest one. It was an octagonal pagoda originally. From the ruins, you can figure out the location and layout of the burial complex. There is an informative museum located near the gate of the tombs park, from which you can get a better understanding of the history of the Western Xia Dynasty and the tombs.

☛ 3 Days Yinchuan History and Culture Tour

Type: Desert, Lake, Geologic Formations & Nature

Best Time: Spring, Summer and Autumn, especially from April to June and September and October

Address: It spans central Gansu, northern Ningxia and southwestern Alxa Left Banner of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (跨甘肃省中部、宁夏北部、内蒙古自治区阿拉善左旗西南)

Covering a whole area of over 40,000 square kilometers, Tengger Desert is the 4th largest Lake in China. Its name of “Tengger” which literally means “sky” in Mongolian Language just signifies its boundlessness. It is also known as the desert in China with largest amount of lakes, because it boasts more than 420 lakes, which are the favorite transfer stops of the birds migrated from Siberia. If you want to view this spectacular scene, remember to visit in September and October.

The endless rolling sand dunes and glowing lakes make Tengger Desert a wonderful place to explore. There are various kinds of way to admire the breathtaking beauty of Tengger Desert, but riding on a private desert SUV to cross the sand dunes to look for the hidden lakes must be the most exhilarating thing. We suggest you speed a full day driving from trough desert with visiting the Six Greatest Lakes - Swan Lake, Emerald Lake, Wulan Lake, Camel Lake, Hailiuqi Lake and Guitar Lake. Traveling with China Discovery, you will be escorted with an experienced driver and enjoy a thrilling but safe trip.

☛ 5 Days Ningxia Discovery Tour from Yinchuan to Zhongwei Shapotou

Located in the valley between the Yellow River and the Helan Mountain, Ningxia has a good climate with plenty of sunshine, large temperature gap between day and night, less precipitation, and good water-heat coefficient, and convenient irrigation. Therefore, it has become an ideal place for grape-planning and wine-producing, and is known as the Bordeaux of the East. The French Wine Review magazine once rated Ningxia as a Chinese Wine Star Region, while New York Times once praised it as a tourist destination that can produce the best Chinese wine.

At present, there are about 200 wineries in Ningxia, and most of them are located in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain. Among these wineries, the most recommended ones include Helan Qingxue Winery, Silver Heights Winery, Domaine des Aromes, Xige Winery, Kanaan Winter, etc. All wineries are open to the public (charged). You can visit these wineries and taste some great wines at a reasonable cost. Traveling with China Discovery, you are able to join Winery Visiting Programs to visit the grape fields and wine production facilities, as well as taste authentic local wines.

☛ 4 Days Best of Ningxia Tour with Tengger Desert Adventure

Type: Historic Sites, Points of Interest, Landmarks

Best Time: May ~ October

Recommended Visiting Time: 1 ~ 3 hours

Address: Linhe Town, Lingwu City, Yinchuan City (银川市灵武市临河镇水洞沟旅游区)

Shuidong Cave is the earliest archaeological site dating back to the Paleolithic Age, and has got the tile of Cradle of the Prehistoric Archaeology and the Witness of the communication between the East and the West. Shuidong Cave is divided into several sections, but the archaeological section where the living and multiplying of human beings are recorded is the biggest highlight. In addition, Shuidong Caves exhibits many old military and defensive structures, like the old watchtower, arsenals, the ancient city wall, etc.

Visiting Shuidong Cave, you can see many other interesting equipment as well, such as Cangbing Cave which is a network of elaborately-designed underground tunnels. Apart from several opportunities to discover the mystery of Shuidong Cave, there are some special communication media like rafts, camels, tractors, yaks,…) and interesting entertainments to experience like bumper cars and archery for visitors to have a try.

☛ 3 Days Yinchuan History and Culture Tour

Type: Deserts, Entertainments

Best Time:Spring, Summer and Autumn, especially from April to June and September and October

Recommended Visiting Time: Half An Hour

Address: Yinshuiqiao Town, Shapotou District, Zhongwei City (中卫市沙坡头区迎水桥镇)

Shapotou Scenic Area is located in the southeastern range of Tengger Desert and about 16 kilometers west of Zhongwei City. Integrating the landscape of desert, river, mountain, oasis, wetland and lake, Shapotou shows both elegance and magnificence.

In addition to the natural beauty, Shapotou also attracted travelers as an amusement park with lots of thrilling entertainment. In Shapotou, you can cross the Yellow River by taking a sheepskin raft - a traditional mode of transport on the river for centuries or by taking an 829-meter-long cable car. Sand skating is also a popular activity for seeking excitement. want a deep interaction with the desert, camel riding, desert hiking, sand surfing are recommended. If you want to stay and play for a longertime, you can have a wonderful night at Desert Star Hotel, a five-pointed star shaped hotel in the hinterland of Shapotou. It is also a great opportunity to watch or photograph the starry sky.

Type: Lifestyle, Hotels

Best Time: All the Year Round

Address: Dawan Village, Changle Town, Shapotou District, Zhongwei City (中卫市沙坡头区常乐镇大湾村)

Suji Yellow River is a cluster of China’s leading luxury guesthouse as well as a lovely museum which display the traditional lifestyle of the local villages. There are 11 top guesthouses gathered in Suji Yellow River, including Nanan, Stray Birds, Hillside Village, Lost Villa, Xuli, etc., which all shows an architectural style of the original villages. They implant the fashionable and modern vacation lifestyle into the countryside, so that the tourists can enjoy an eyeable and relaxing vacation.

In addition to the top-level hotels, there are cafes, restaurants, art galleries, etc. You can take a nice walk and appreciate the great scenery. It is also available to climb the duplicate architecture of the Great Wall, from which you will get a panoramic view of the surroundings and the Yellow River.

Type: Historic Sites, Points of Interest, Landmarks

Best Time: May ~ October

Recommended Visiting Time: 1 ~ 3 hours

Address: East Range of the Helan Mountain, Yinchuan City (宁夏回族自治区银川市西夏区贺兰山东麓)

The Rock Paintings of Helan Mountain is one of the most attractive sites in Ningxia. Though there are about 20 places preserved with rock paintings in Helan Mountain, Helankou Rock Paintings (known as Rock Paintings of Helan Mountain) is also the most representative one. These paintings were predicted to be created in three stages, including Neolithic, Qin Dynasty to Northern and Southern Dynasties, and Sui Dynasty to Western Xia Dynasty.

There are a large number of pictographs representing animals, faces, hunting scenes, characters, etc. which opened a window into the early civilizations a long time ago. Before getting to the rock paintings, you can visit the excellent museum which summarizes the major rock painting sites in the world and displays hundreds of exhibits.

Type: Grottoes, Historical Sites

Recommended Visiting Time: 3 hours

Address: Huangduopu Street, Sanying Town, Guiyuan City, Ningxia (宁夏回族自治区固原市三营镇黄铎堡街)

Xumishan Grottoes is a large collection of 162 Buddhist grottoes located in Xumi Mountain, Guyuan. Since the first grottoes was excavated during the North Wei Dynasty (A.D. 365-534), Xumishan Grottoes have a long history of more than 1,500 years. Listed in one of China's 10 Greatest Grottoes, Xumishan Grottoes feature in diverse artistic styles, historical significance, great surrounding scenery and peaceful environment.

All the grottoes are scattered on the mountains, and you need to hike some steps to them. The park bus is helpful to save your energy and time. Before walking to the grottoes, you are suggested to pay a short visit to Xumishan Museum, which exhibits the detailed introduction of Xumishan Grottoes, as well as the mystery of the Silk Road and the fascinating art of Buddhist grottoes. The biggest highlights of Xumishan Grottoes are Dafo Mansion, Taohua Cave, Xiangguo Temple, and Yuanguan Temple. Among them, Dafo Mansion is the essence of the whole scenic area. No.5 Grottoes which houses a giant Buddha is the most famous grotto and show the super skill of the craftsman. There are lots of hiking trail.

Type: Night Markets, Food Streets

Best Time: All the Year Round

Recommended Visiting Time: about 2 hours

Tickets: Free

Address: The Intersection of Huaiyuan Road and Wencui North Road, Xixia District, Yinchuan City (银川市西夏区怀远路和文萃北路的十字路口)

There are several western-style restaurants in Yinchuan, but it's not easy to find some quality western-style restaurants in other cities of Ningxia. However, the Ningxia cuisines and fruits are delicious. In China's big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, etc., you can find some restaurants for Ningxia food as well. Generally, Muslims cuisine is the main part of Ningxia Cuisine because the Hui National is concentrated in Ningxia. Ningxia food usually has a flavor of sour and spicy, and the main foodstuff of Ningxia food are beef and sheep. The top dishes include Steamed Lamb In Clear Soup, Braised Lamb Chop, Clover Elbow, Sweet and Sour Yellow River Carp, Hand Catching Mutton, Wuzhong Boiled Hen, Crisp Friend Chicken and so forth.

Apart from Ningxia Dishes, lots of sweet fruits are also produced in Ningxia because of the abundant sunshine. No matter you visit Ningxia, you are able to taste fresh and juicy Ningxia fruits. The best-known fruits in Ningxia are Zhongning Wolfberry, Changling Jujube, Xingshan Watermelon, Yongning Grape, Xiangshui Pear, Ningguan Apple and Yongning Peach, etc. Among those fruits, Zhongning Wolfberry is always chosen as a souvenir for family members and friends.