Sights in Níngxià

1. Níngxià Museum

   • Yínchuān, China
   • Sights › Museum

   This brand-new museum is a cavernous three-storey structure located halfway between the new and old cities. It contains an extensive collection of rock art, Silk Road–era pottery and ancient Korans as well as the requisite hall of communist propaganda and Mao fun facts. This is a good starting point if you want to learn something of the Hui as the museum contains several halls of Hui art and culture. Bus 102 passes nearby.

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2. Hǎibǎo Tǎ Pagoda

   • Yínchuān, China
   • Sights › Pagoda

   This 5th-century pagoda is set on the grounds of a well-maintained monastery. The pagoda, also known as Běi Tǎ (North Pagoda), was toppled by an earthquake in 1739 and rebuilt in 1771 in the original style. From the top of the nine-storey structure you get fine views of the Hèlán Shān range to the west and the Yellow River to the east. Take minibus 20 north on Jinning Beijie for five stops to the Běitǎ Lùkǒu (北塔路口) and then walk north for 15 minutes, or take a taxi (Y5).

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3. Gāo Temple

   • Zhōngwèi, China
   • Sights › Temple

   This eclectic, multipurpose temple has at various times catered to the needs of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. It's still a hodgepodge of architectural styles, but the revitalised Buddhist deities have muscled out the original Taoists and Confucians.

   The real oddity is the former bomb shelter, built beneath the temple during the Cultural Revolution and later converted into a Buddhist hell-haunted house. The eerie, dimly lit tunnels echo with the haunting screams of the damned. Try not to get too freaked out.

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4. Chéngtiānsì Tǎ

   • Yínchuān, China
   • Sights › Pagoda

   Also known as Xī Tǎ (西塔; West Pagoda), the pagoda was closed for renovation at the time of research, but when it opens you should be able to climb to the top via 13 tiers of steepish stairs.

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