Yinchuan

Yinchuan, China

A plume of smoke is rising into the air, and that red disk is sinking behind the distant horizons. You can only see in your mind's eye the scene depicted in a Chinese verse. A vast desert never ceases to stir our imagination and is always wreathed in mystery. Tramping through an endless sandy terrain, you hunger for a green oasis. Yinchan, the capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of northern China, is nothing but an oasis. In ancient times, it was known as "Phoenix City". The story of a phoenix flitting across the place, falling in love with it, deciding to stay here permanently and turning itself into different sites has passed into legend. The two wells close to Gaotai Temple are the phoenix' eyes, the Bell Tower her heart, West Pagoda and East Pagoda her paws, and the lakes at Ximaying her tail which extends all the way to Helan Mountain Range.

See and Do

• Homeland of Hui Culture Park

  It houses an impressive collection of cultural relics offering interesting glimpses of the history, culture, customs and traditions of the Islamic Hui in China. Eat an authentic Hui halal meal there.

• Western Xia Tombs

  Nine pyramid - like massive burial mounds spread out in an area of 58 square kilometers hold the remains of the emperors who ruled the Empire of Western Xia from the 11th to the 13th centuries. The brutality of the royal family is reflected by the fact that there are also over 200 accompanying tombs of the emperors’ courtiers who were buried alive along with their masters.

• Shapotou

  Sandy waves are set against the Yellow River, lofty mountains and oases. Have a ball on China's largest natural sand skiing ground and cross the Yellow River on a cable car or a sheepskin raft - the latter is not for the faint -hearted.

• Zhenbeibao Western Film City

  It's been the shooting location for some of China's best movies. Sitting on the ruins of an ancient fortification in the outskirts northwest of Yinchuan, it contains three clusters of buildings reminiscent of the city's past.

• Helanshan Rock Paintings

  Over 20 sites of ancient paintings adorn the rocks on both sides of a 200-kilometer - plus valley of Helan Mountain Range. The paintings vividly depict the scenes of hunting, herding, battles, dancing and religious ceremonies of the different ethnic groups inhabiting the region in ancient times.

  
  
  
• Sand Lake

  This scenic area 42 kilometers away from Yinchuan is an apparent paradox of a 20 -square - kilometer weed - strewn lake being side by side with a 40 - kilometer barren desert. Sand sculptures tend to fascinate gawkers.