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Ningxia

With its raw terrain of dusty plains and stark mountains, sliced in two by the Yellow River, there's a distinct Grapes of Wrath feel to Ningxia (宁夏). Outside the cities is a timeless landscape where farmers till the hard yellow earth just like their ancestors did.

Yet Ningxia was once the front line between the Mongol and Han Chinese empires. Wondrous art and architecture from the Xixia empire and the Jin and Liao dynasties fills museums and historic sites. Then there's the royal tombs of Xixia, as well as rock carvings that predate the emperors, plus the chance to camp out under the desert sky or float down the Yellow River on a traditional raft. Being the homeland of the Muslim Hui ethnic minority adds another unique layer to Ningxia's culture.

Best of all, Ningxia sees few foreign visitors, so it seems like you have the place all to yourself.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Ningxia.

  • See

    Western Xia Tombs

    Like giant beehives scattered on the arid eastern slope of the Helan mountains, the Xixia imperial tombs are Ningxia’s most celebrated sight. The earliest tombs were built a millennium ago by Li Yuanhao, founder of the kingdom. There are nine tombs, plus 250 lesser tombs, in an area of 50 sq km. The one you’ll see (Tomb No.3) belongs to Li – constructed as a 23m-tall wooden pagoda, now weathered to its earthen core. The tomb site is fashioned like a miniature city with towers, city walls and temple.

  • See

    Gao Temple

    This is one of China's most extraordinary temples. The three faiths of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism are revered here; it has an unusual roofline because its halls and shrines are stacked cluster by cluster on a slope. Check out the unnerving Arhat Hall (罗汉堂, Luóhàn Táng), which contains 500 arhats, many in grotesque guises and postures. The drawcard oddity is Dì Gōng (地宫), a maze-like shelter converted into a Buddhist hell.

  • See

    Xūmí Shān

    Cut honeycomb-like into five sandstone hills, 55km northwest of Guyuan, are 132 magnificent grottoes housing 300 Buddhist statues. They date back 1400 years, from the Northern Wei to the Sui and Tang dynasties, when this region was an important gateway in the eastward spread of Buddhism and the westward movement of goods on the Silk Road. Cave 5 contains the largest statue, a colossal Maitreya, standing 20.6m high.

  • See

    Great Mosque

    Of all the mosques in Ningxia, the most hallowed is the Great Mosque. Dating back to the 14th century (although the present mosque was built in 1573 and then renovated in 1791), it was the only one of Ningxia’s 1000-odd mosques to avoid the ravages of the Cultural Revolution. As such, it’s a near-perfect example of Ming- and Qing-era temple architecture. Not until you get up close and notice the crescents that top the pagoda roofs does it become apparent that it’s a mosque.

  • See

    Shapotou

    The desert playground of Shapotou, 17km west of Zhongwei, lies on the fringes of the Tengger Desert at the dramatic convergence of sand dunes, the Yellow River and lush farmlands. It’s based around the Shapotou Desert Research Centre, which was founded in 1956 to battle the ever-worsening problem of desertification in China’s northwest.

  • See

    Yinchuan Museum of Contemporary Art

    Located in a white, fashionably fluid-lined building between the Yellow River and paddy fields is Yinchuan MOCA, the premier museum for contemporary art in northwestern China. It's also the site of the Yinchuan Biennale. Art lovers from Beijing and Shanghai are known to make trips here just for the high-quality exhibitions, particularly the ones on Islamic contemporary art.

  • See

    Helan Shan Rock Carvings

    The most significant sight in Helan Shan is these ancient rock carvings dating from 1000 to 10,000 years ago. Over 2000 pictographs depict animals, faces, hunting and copulation scenes, as well as inscriptions of Xixia characters praising the Buddha. They are remnants of the early nomadic tribes who lived in the steppes north of China. Admission includes entry to a museum on ancient rock art and a ride to the valley containing the rock carvings.

  • See

    Liùpán Shān Guójiā Sēnlín Gōngyuán

    Those on the trail of Genghis Khan will want to visit southern Ningxia’s Liùpán Shān, where some maintain the great man died in 1227. Legend attests that the Mongol emperor fell ill and came here to ingest medicinal plants native to the area, but perished on its slopes (though it’s much more likely he died elsewhere). The mountain is now a protected area.

  • See

    Huǒ Shí Zhài

    The centrepiece of this geopark is its Danxia landform, with its dramatic red rocks and steep cliffs. This is not the most impressive Danxia in China but it's attractive enough. Studded into cliff-faces are shrines and temples, reachable via vertiginous steps, while pagodas perch on peaks and hiking paths snake between the various rocky formations. The light is best in the late afternoon.