Xixia Imperial Tombs: The Mysterious ‘Oriental Pyramid’ Legacy of China’s

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Xixia Imperial Tombs (西夏王陵): A Must-See Newly Inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site

Did anyone else see the news? The Xixia Imperial Tombs (西夏王陵)in Yinchuan(银川) just got inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site! I visited this place several years ago and honestly, it's about time they got this recognition.

For those who don't know, the Xixia dynasty (西夏王朝, 1038-1227) was founded by the Tangut people - think of them as the scrappy underdogs who carved out their own kingdom right between the massive Song(宋) and Liao(辽) dynasties. Li Yuanhao(李元昊), their first emperor, was basically saying "fuck it, I'm making my own empire" and somehow made it work for nearly 200 years. They even gave Genghis Khan(成吉思汗) such a hard time that legend says he died during the campaign against them.

Known as the "Pyramids of the East," Xixia Imperial Tombs aren't your typical polished tourist attraction. No ornate palaces or delicate artifacts - just 9 imperial mausoleums and over 200 satellite tombs scattered across 50 square kilometers of desert plain. The most striking is Tomb No. 3 (believed to be Emperor Li Yuanhao's), a 20-meter-tall earthen pyramid that looks almost surreal against the Helan Mountains(贺兰山).

What really got to me when I visited was how raw and authentic it all feels. After centuries of weathering, what's left are these haunting earthen mounds against this incredible mountain backdrop. You can still make out the original layout, but your imagination has to fill in what the original palaces and towers looked like. There's something powerful about that incompleteness, like the landscape is asking you to really think about what happened here.

Trust me, if you visit Yinchuan（银川）, dedicate a full day here. See the Helan Mountain petroglyphs(贺兰山壁画) in the morning (which the Xixia people likely saw too), explore the tombs in the afternoon, and just sit quietly near Tomb No. 3 at dusk. Back in the city, hit night market for 羊杂汤 (lamb offal stew) and 烫面油香 (Fried Hot-Dough Pancakes), grab some Xixia beer (西夏啤酒),that's the spirit!

Post by TravelwithAGE | Jul 29, 2025