7-Day Gobi Desert Grand Crossing! Western Xia Tombs × Helan Mountain Rock Paintings × Desert Starry Sky

🌟【7-Day Epic Route】(Top choice for culture/photography/adventure)
D1: Dynasty Imprints | Explore Western Xia Tombs
Morning:
Visit Western Xia Tombs (China’s 60th World Heritage Site), explore 9 imperial tombs and 271 accompanying burial sites;
AR exploration (mini program) scan the green-glazed chiwen, watch the tomb park restoration animation;
Afternoon:
See gilded bronze ox and Western Xia script steles in the museum;
Experience wooden movable type printing of Western Xia script (¥50);
Evening:
Stay at a hotel in Yinchuan city.
D2: Cliffside Codes | Helan Mountain Rock Paintings × Zhenbeibao
Morning:
Helan Mountain Rock Paintings:
Hike the Sun God totem area, interpret Western Xia script and nomadic life;
Noon:
Eat hand-pulled lamb at a mountain pass farmhouse;
Afternoon:
Zhenbeibao Western Film Studio:
Check in at the “A Chinese Odyssey” city wall, wear Western Xia costumes for photos;
Evening:
Return to Yinchuan.
D3: Canyon Secrets | Gunzhongkou × Baisikou
All day:
Tour Gunzhongkou (Helan Mountain Rift Valley), visit Baisikou Twin Pagodas (Western Xia Buddhist pagoda remains);
Evening:
Take a bus to Zhongwei (3 hours).
D4: Desert Oasis | First Exploration of Tengger Desert
Morning:
Hike the edge of Tengger Desert, visit Moon Lake;
Afternoon:
Desert off-roading (¥280/person):
Sand dune racing, drifting, experience the “desert roller coaster”;
Evening:
Gobi Starry Sky Camping Base (newly opened):
Set up tents, enjoy bonfire roasted whole lamb, watch the Milky Way.
D5: Echoes of Civilization | In-depth Western Xia Ruins
Early morning:
Climb sand dunes to photograph the Gobi sunrise;
Morning:
Explore abandoned Western Xia beacon tower ruins (guided), search for pottery shards and arrowheads;
Afternoon:
Camp workshop:
Learn Western Xia style stone carving (¥60/person);
Evening:
Camp starry sky lecture: listen to a Western Xia historian talk about “rise and fall of the dynasty.”
D6: Soul of the Yellow River | Shapotou
Morning:
Shapotou:
Zipline over the Yellow River, ride camels across the desert;
Afternoon:
Drift down the Yellow River on a sheepskin raft;
Evening:
Stay at Zhongwei Desert Star Hotel (window view of sand).
D7: Journey’s Mark | Souvenirs × Return
Morning:
Shop for Western Xia cultural creations at Zhongwei market (bronze ox ornaments, Western Xia script bookmarks);
Afternoon:
Return to Yinchuan, end the epic journey.
🚫【Avoid Pitfalls Guide】
Transport: Private car/shared car (7 days about ¥2000/car) most flexible; only off-road vehicles can pass desert sections!
Tickets: Western Xia Tombs ¥80, Rock Paintings ¥60, Shapotou ¥100; Camping ¥580/person (includes food and lodging)!
Altitude/Climate: Large temperature difference day and night (30°C daytime, 5°C night), bring windbreaker + sunscreen; no altitude sickness.
Tips: Bring sunglasses, headscarf, lip balm; best from May to October, avoid July-August high heat!
🍜【Budget Reference】
Tickets/Experiences: ¥300 + Camping ¥580 + Off-road ¥280 ≈ ¥1160
Transport: Private car ¥2000/car (4 people share ¥500 each)
Meals: ¥100/day
Accommodation: Mixed about ¥400/night
Total: About ¥2500-3000/person for 7 days
💎【Key Highlights】
✅ Rush to Western Xia Tombs at 8 AM! Soft light, fewer tourists

✅ Must-try desert off-roading! Tengger thrills, adrenaline rush

✅ Must-stay starry sky camp! Milky Way within reach, unforgettable lifetime experience

✅ Must-learn wooden movable type! Print a piece of Western Xia script, take away millennia of civilization

💬Comment: If you were to write an epitaph for the Western Xia dynasty, what would you write?