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People always say that a trip to the Northwest is a must-do in your lifetime. The vast expanse of land and sky makes for a truly free and unforgettable experience.
The exquisite Mogao Grottoes murals, the magnificent Terracotta Warriors of the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum, the vast Qinghai Lake, the gorgeous Kanas...
However, Ningxia, located at the intersection of the Loess Plateau, Inner Mongolia Plateau, Northwest Desert and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is often overlooked and rarely becomes people's first choice destination.
@Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Natural Resources Department
The Western Xia Tombs, located in Ningxia and China's only project nominated for World Cultural Heritage status in 2025, are not only a crucial venue for studying the politics, economy, and culture of the Western Xia, but also a testament to multi-ethnic integration and multicultural exchange. This rising star in cultural tourism has drawn widespread attention to Ningxia, but it's also incredibly exciting!
Spring has returned, and you'll see the Yellow River swirling with greenery, blue sheep leaping across newly formed meadows, and pear blossoms blooming on the branches of Zhongwei trees. This place is far from the barren wasteland you might imagine; there's so much to discover!
tourists@Linquanyisou
Zhongwei Pear Blossom@Jiamu
Covering an area of 66,400 square kilometers, this tiny province is even smaller than the municipality of Chongqing
. Though small, it possesses all the essentials. Ningxia combines the grandeur of the Northwest with the beauty of the Yangtze River Delta, encompassing plateaus, basins, hills, plains, grasslands, deserts, and lakes—a veritable "Chinese ecological miniature bonsai."
Ningxia, known as the "Jiangnan on the Great Wall", is more than just desolate.
Ningxia not only has rich and superior natural resources, but also has a profound history.
Most notable are the Western Xia Dynasty, whose capital was established here, and the Western Xia Tombs, the only Chinese site nominated for World Cultural Heritage status in 2025.
In the early 11th century, a dynasty dominated by the Dangxiang people established itself in the northwest. With its capital in Xingqing Prefecture, roughly located in the region of present-day Yinchuan, it was historically known as the Western Xia.
The name "Ningxia" evokes the tranquility of the Xia land. For nearly 200 years, Ningxia controlled the entire Hexi Corridor and became a key hub along the overland Silk Road. The blend of cultures from all corners of the world with Dangxiang culture gave the Western Xia a sense of familiarity yet a distinct identity.
The Western Xia Tombs, nestled at the foot of the Helan Mountains, are the largest, highest-ranking, and best-preserved cultural relic from the Western Xia period.
Known as the "Pyramid of the East," it comprises nine imperial tombs and 271 accompanying tombs of high-ranking officials and nobles, forming a vast and orderly mausoleum complex. However, erosion by wind and sand has gradually eroded the exterior wooden structures, leaving only scattered mounds of earth.
These mounds hold secrets of time, surpassing other highly discussed attractions such as Mount Hua, Cangshan Mountain in Dali, Erhai Lake, Qinghai Lake, and Jingdezhen to be China's only nominee for World Cultural Heritage in 2025, potentially becoming the nation's 60th World Heritage site. A nation's swift fall, the quest for the mystery of the tomb's owner, the elusive "dead script" of the Western Xia script, and the enduring power of rammed earth technology...
Before it becomes popular, why not follow me to explore it in person and uncover the mystery of the "Oriental Pyramid".
Recommended route 🔻
The Xumishan Grottoes, excavated during the Northern Wei Dynasty, are one of the ten largest grottoes in China.
While not as renowned as the Mogao Grottoes, Longmen Grottoes, and Yungang Grottoes, it bears witness to the rise and fall of dynasties. Through generations of construction and renovation, it has grown to its present size, boasting 162 existing grottoes and over 10,000 Buddha statues. The exquisite carvings are of great historical and artistic value.
Time is speechless, only stone can speak.
This is the best description of the Helan Mountain rock paintings.
People believe in and worship the sun. The word "Helan" in the ancient Xiongnu language means steed. From the late Paleolithic period to the end of the Western Xia period, nomadic people recorded their lives and expectations on rocks, and we are able to communicate with them across time and space.
If you’re lucky enough, you might even see blue sheep leaping through the mountains after leaving the museum. You’ll be able to share your time with these mountain elves and feel the vibrant energy of life. (We blue sheep are great climbers, and can easily scale nearly vertical cliffs.)
Dong Yuhui feeds blue sheep in Helan Mountain, Ningxia. Source: Xinhua News Agency
Shapotou, located on the edge of the Tengger Desert, integrates the desert, the Yellow River, mountains and oasis, and is the first national desert ecological nature reserve.
The scenery here is magnificent and unique. The Yellow River and the desert merge here, with the Yellow River's surging waters on one side and the rolling sand dunes on the other. Not only can you take a camel ride through the desert and appreciate the boundless expanse, you can also experience the thrill of sandboarding, or take a sheepskin raft down the Yellow River and feel the majesty of the mother river.
Recommended route 🔻
The Yellow River, originating from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, flows eastward. As the only province in the country whose entire territory belongs to the Yellow River basin, the Yellow River flows through deep canyons after entering Ningxia.
The ten-mile long gorge and ten-mile scenery, the ten-mile art gallery is in bronze.
Known as "a bird's paradise and a fish's world," Shahu Lake seamlessly connects the water and the desert, vividly demonstrating the oriental beauty of both strength and softness.
It has both the grandeur of the desert and the beauty of the Jiangnan water towns. It is also one of the most distinctive bird-watching spots in China, where you can see more than 1.5 million birds belonging to 17 orders, 44 families and 200 species.
Every spring, Shahu hosts the International Birdwatching Festival, where you can witness the migration of life with bird lovers. Bird lovers should not miss it~ (Come and collect stamps❗)
The vibrant farmland in "Red Sorghum" and the city gate tower where the Monkey King and Fairy Zixia staged their love-hate separation in "A Chinese Odyssey"... 🎧Sea of suffering ~ love and hate ~ in this world ~ it's hard to escape fate ~
This place is full of desolate atmosphere and is famous for being the filming location for many classic film and television works.
This "Oriental Hollywood" built of rammed earth, with its unique texture, will transport you to a dreamland, a culmination of millennia of time, where you can experience the thrill of roaming the martial arts world! (I'm going to play the role of Zixia Fairy and find my soulmate 🙋♀️)
When it comes to Ningxia cuisine, goji berries and Tan lamb, two of Ningxia's five treasures, inevitably come to mind. (Tip: the other three are licorice, Helan stone, and hair algae.)
As the birthplace of goji berries, the large, thick fruits here are a must-have for health-conscious mugs. The second season of "A Bite of China" described the popular Tan lamb as follows: "Almost all Chinese gourmets agree that the lamb here (Ningxia) is the best in texture. Not greasy or smelly, but rich and delicious."
Mutton offal, stewed vegetables, mugwort noodles, spicy porridge, firewood chicken, soup bowls... Every Ningxia native has his or her favorite taste of home.
In addition to these, every city in Ningxia has a rich variety of delicious food, including Yinchuan's hand-pulled lamb, Helan Mountain wine, Zhongwei's selenium sand melon, Shizuishan's cold noodles, and Guyuan's raw noodles...
Ningxia cuisine @Zhu Meimei
Wuzhong's morning tea culture has also astounded countless Southerners.
Unlike the refined morning tea of the South, this place is known for its "hardcore" style, attracting numerous diners.
Its spacious and open space makes it a paradise for both carb lovers and meat lovers.
I've only scratched the surface of this place; there's more to come. A more in-depth Ningxia itinerary is also being planned, so stay tuned!
