Yinchuan travel guide
银川
Ningxia, one of the smaller provincial regions on China's map, is like a treasured jewel cradled in the arms of the motherland. The Yellow River tumbles out of the mountains of Gansu and pauses to rest here.…
11 places · In the guidebook: pages 784–800
Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region · AI illustration for China Trip
Quick itinerary
Yinchuan in 3 days
- Day 1
- Huangsha Ancient Ferry→
- Nanguan Grand Mosque→
- Chengtian Temple→
- Drum Tower and Yuhuang Pavilion (a quick look, no need for a detailed visit)
- Day 2
- Yinchuan→
- Shahu Lake in Pingluo→
- Yinchuan
- Day 3
- Yinchuan→
- Helan Mountain→
- Zhenbeibu Western Film Studio→
- Western Xia Royal Tombs→
- Yinchuan
The feel of the place
- Under Heaven, the Yellow River Enriches Ningxia
- Ningxia, one of the smaller provincial regions on China's map, is like a treasured jewel cradled in the arms of the motherland. The Yellow River tumbles out of the mountains of Gansu and pauses to rest here. Fertile loess lies in layered deposits, and plump carp and boundless rice paddies gave rise to the saying “the Yellow River makes Ningxia rich.” It is no wonder that nearly a thousand years ago, the once-mighty Western Xia Empire built its foundations here and expanded across a vast territory that stretched for thousands of kilometres.
The Five Duties
The Hui are the main ethnic group in Ningxia, and they follow Islam. Muslims must observe the “Five Duties”: Recitation (reciting the Shahada, the Islamic profession of faith); Prayer (praying five times a day facing the Kaaba in Mecca, and attending Friday congregational prayers at the mosque); Fasting (observing a month-long fast each year); Almsgiving (paying zakat, a religious tax, in proportion to one's wealth); and Pilgrimage (Muslims who are able must make the Hajj to Mecca at least once in their lifetime). Beyond these Five Duties, there are also annual celebrations and festivals to take part in. The well-known Eid al-Fitr, Mawlid and Eid al-Adha are the three major traditional festivals of Islam.
tip: 1. Climate: Ningxia's dry climate may cause some travellers to experience dry, sore nasal passages, a parched mouth and throat, and chapped skin. Bring commonly used medicines such as oil-based nasal drops or ointment, Shangqing Pills, Jiegeng Pills, petroleum jelly or moisturising cream, and drink plenty of boiled water and eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit.
2. Altitude: Ningxia lies at a high elevation. People with high blood pressure, heart disease, bronchitis or asthma may experience dizziness, a racing heart, shortness of breath or wheezing on first arriving. It is therefore advisable to bring some protective medication when visiting Ningxia.
3. Sand: This is a photographer's paradise, but the winds and sand are strong, so take care to protect your camera. Pack sand-protection items such as sunglasses and a hat, and it is best not to wear contact lenses.
Geography
Ningxia's terrain is high in the south and low in the north, with an average elevation of 1,000 metres. West of the north-south Helan Mountains in the north lies the vast Mongolian grassland; the Liupan Mountains in the south are a green island on the Loess Plateau; and the alluvial plain of the Yellow River in the centre is known as “the Jiangnan of the North.”
Preparation and Advice
Climate and Best Time to Visit
Ningxia receives little rain or snow and has a fairly dry climate. The large difference between day and night temperatures suits crops, but it also makes it easy to get sunburnt. Spring is windy and sandy; summer and autumn are the best seasons for travel. Winters are milder than in northern China and fewer tourists visit, making them a good time for a solitary trip in search of quiet.
Festivals and Events
Each May or June, you can catch Ningxia's annual Hua'er Song Fair; in mid-September, you can join the Yinchuan International Yellow River Culture Festival.
Things to see
Chengtian Temple
Have you seen the pagoda held by the Heavenly King in cartoons? It is sturdy, massive and simple. From the top of the Chengtian Temple pagoda you can look down over old Yinchuan, where the bustling commercial street lies just below and pedestrians scurry by like ants. There is a sense of the Heavenly King calmly surveying the human world. Chengtian Temple was founded in 1050. Its 13-storey brick pagoda, a pavilion-style structure 64.5 metres tall, is the only Xixia-era pagoda in China with a recorded construction date. It collapsed in the 1739 Ningxia earthquake, and the surviving tower was rebuilt in 1820, largely preserving the style of the original Xixia pagoda. Today Chengtian Temple houses the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Museum. Four great halls are open to visitors, displaying Ningxia historical relics, Xixia artefacts, Helan Mountain rock art, and exhibits on Hui folk customs.
1–2 hours · ¥10; ¥20 to climb the pagoda
Huangsha Ancient Ferry National Wetland Park
Ningxia's newest flagship attraction. Here you can see the ancient ferry crossing where the Kangxi Emperor crossed the Yellow River, and the crescent-shaped Moon Lake left in the desert by Princess Wang Zhaojun's journey north to marry a Xiongnu chieftain. The Desert Fun Valley is thrilling, while the Ancient Ferry Village is wonderfully relaxing. The China Native Tibetan Mastiff Breeding Base, the Ningxia Desert Wildlife Rescue Centre and the Ningxia Folk Culture Museum are all based here, making this arguably the most fun place in Ningxia.
5 hours · Combo ticket ¥218 (includes more than 20 activities, such as desert surfing buggy, wetland dragon boat, sheepskin raft, camel riding, sand sledding and Yellow River surfing)
Nanguan Grand Mosque
First built in the late Ming dynasty, the present Nanguan Grand Mosque was rebuilt in 1981. It features Arabic-style architecture and is one of the larger mosques in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The main prayer hall can accommodate 1,300 worshippers at once. To promote Islamic culture, the mosque is open to the public.
Free
Mingcui Lake National Wetland Park
Mingcui Lake is one of the best-preserved natural wetland reserves in Ningxia and is celebrated as one of China's Six Most Beautiful Wetland Parks. It is a scenic area that combines science education, leisure and holidays, water and land adventure activities, health and wellness, wild angling, winter skiing and wedding photography.
2–3 hours · ¥40 in peak season, ¥20 in off-season
Haibao Pagoda
Haibao Temple lies on the northern outskirts of Yinchuan. This ancient temple, with over 1,500 years of history, is the only nationally key open-to-visitors temple in Yinchuan. Its Haibao Pagoda is the oldest Buddhist structure in Ningxia. The pagoda echoes the Chengtian Temple Pagoda in the city and is one of the Eight Scenes of Ningxia, long praised as “Ancient Pagoda Soaring to the Skies.” The pagoda stands on a spacious square base; including the base, it has eleven levels and a total height of 54 m. The tower body is square, with a ridge projecting from the middle of each face, forming the shape of the character 亚 (ya). It is one of China's Sixteen Famous Pagodas. The Ullambana Festival held on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month is especially lively every year.
1 hour · ¥10
Lanshan Park
Built in an ancient Roman style, the park seems to whisk you off to Italy in an instant. When the setting sun shines through the arches, the whole park is bathed in golden light. After enjoying the views and snapping your “blockbuster” photos, you can take the park's custom bus to Huaiyuan Night Market (怀远夜市) to soak up the lively atmosphere. The bus fare is ¥5.
1–2 hours · Free
Getting there & around
Getting There and Away
Yinchuan's eastern urban area is the old city, with bustling commercial streets and many scenic and historic sites scattered throughout. The western part of the city is home to the railway station, schools and residential areas. Visitors are advised to stay in the lively eastern districts, which makes it easier to plan sightseeing around town.
By Air
Hedong Airport is about 19 kilometres southeast of central Yinchuan. A dedicated shuttle bus runs between the airport and the city centre, departing according to flight schedules, for a fare of ¥20. Shuttle route: Airport to Minhang Building (民航大厦). A taxi from the airport to Yinchuan's old city costs around ¥30, and to Xixia District about ¥90.
By Rail
Yinchuan Railway Station is located in the east of the New Urban District. Buses 15, 30, 39 and 45 run from within Yinchuan to the station. A taxi from the old city to the station costs around ¥15.
By Road
Yinchuan South Bus Station has buses to out-of-province cities such as Beijing, Taiyuan, Lanzhou, Xi'an and Zhengzhou.
Long-Distance Bus Stations
Getting Around Town
Yinchuan's city bus routes serve the old city, the New Urban District and the newer development zones, and there are also buses to and from Yongning and Helan counties.
tip: 1. Taxis: Yinchuan's taxi flag fall is ¥9, which covers the first 3 kilometres. Beyond 3 kilometres, the rate is either ¥1.5 or ¥1.7 per kilometre, depending on the vehicle. Drivers change shifts between 18:00 and 19:00, when taxis are very hard to find.
2. Chartered car: Yinchuan's best-known attractions (the Western Xia Tombs, the Helan Mountain Rock Art, Suyukou Forest Park and Zhenbeibu Film and TV City) lie along the Helan Mountains west of the city, while the Sand Lake scenic area in Pingluo, north of the city, is also far from the centre. These sites can only be reached by chartered car, and prices vary greatly between peak and off-peak seasons. The starting point for haggling is the lowest chartered-car rate in Northwest China: ¥1 per kilometre plus waiting time.
Central Ticket Office
By Air- Phone:
- 0951-6913456
Airport Information Desk
By Air- Phone:
- 0951-6912218/96111
Yinchuan South Bus Station
Yinchuan South Bus Station- Address:
- Near the Longpan Furniture City bus stop, Qinghe South Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan
- Getting there:
- Near Shengli Street (bus stop), Yingbin Square (bus stop), Qinghe Street (bus stop)
Yinchuan Tourist Bus Station (North Gate Bus Station)
Yinchuan Tourist Bus Station (North Gate Bus Station)- Address:
- No. 570, Qinghe North Street, Yinchuan
- Getting there:
- Near the North Gate Bus Depot (bus stop)
Yinchuan Bus Station
Yinchuan Bus Station- Address:
- No. 1382, Qinghe South Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan
Eat & drink
Hui people make up only 18% of Yinchuan's population, yet halal restaurants account for nearly two-thirds of the eateries on its streets. In the past, the Yingbin Lou Halal Restaurant on Jiefang West Street had the finest reputation. Nowadays, the better-looking restaurants are all fairly similar in quality.
We recommend strolling along Xinhua Street at night to enjoy the city's night views and grilled skewers from the street stalls, which give a taste of Yinchuan after dark. Be sure to try Yinchuan roujiamo, which is very different from the version popular elsewhere in Northwest China: stir-fried green vegetables and diced lamb are cooked in a wok, then stuffed into a sesame flatbread (shaobing). It is delicious. Other local specialities include whole roast lamb, hand-grabbed lamb, lamb offal, lamb paomo (lamb soup with broken flatbread), a variety of noodle dishes and local hotpot.
Laozhang Qingdun Lamb Restaurant
Entertainment
In Ningxia you can enjoy Hui “Hua'er” folk songs and mouth harp music, both with a strong northwestern flavour. “Hui Hua'er” is a distinctive high-pitched mountain folk song popular across Northwest China, with soaring, lilting melodies and simple, fresh lyrics. The “kouxian” (mouth harp), also called “kou'er,” is a small plucked instrument favoured by Hui women in Ningxia. Its tunes are pleasant to the ear and fairly fixed in form, with set pieces such as “Water Dripping from the Eaves,” “Camel Bells” and “Pearls Rolling Up the Curtain.”
Recommended Restaurants
To taste something truly distinctive in Ningxia
Laozhang Qingdun Lamb RestaurantYou should head to Laozhang Qingdun Lamb Restaurant in Yanchi. The restaurant is small, but the lamb is excellent. The snacks are a highlight and very inexpensive. Once you've tried them, you'll never forget the flavours of Ningxia!
- Address:
- 100 metres south of the Lanhua Hua Grand Hotel, Qinghe South Street, Yinchuan
- 1. Red goji berries: The fruit of the goji plant, said to boost vitality and qi, nourish the kidneys, moisten the lungs and sharpen the eyesight, and dispel wind. They are both a high-quality Chinese herbal medicine and a prized tonic for good health. Goji grown in the Yellow River irrigation area of Zhongwei in Ningxia is considered the finest, and it can be bought in every city in Ningxia. If you visit Ningxia, be sure to bring some home for your parents and as gifts for friends and relatives. 2. Helan stone: Quarried around Bijia Mountain in the Helan Mountains, it is mainly green or purple. Stones that show green within purple, or purple within green, are known as “three-colour” stones, and the rare pieces with brown markings are the finest. However, with advances in technology, imitations have become much more common. 3. Tan sheepskin: Tan sheep are raised across a wide area, including parts of Gansu, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia, but sheepskin from Ningxia is the finest. Pelts from lambs about one month old are called “erbaopi” (二毛皮), a name that is a homophone of “children's fur” (儿毛皮). Their colour is pure, and they are light and warm, making them top-quality fur.
Guoqiang Hand-Grabbed Mutton (Beijing West Road Branch)
EntertainmentA great place to try hand-grabbed mutton: it is fresh, tender and smooth. Dip it in vinegar and garlic sauce, and it is neither greasy nor heavy, leaving a lingering fragrance.
- Address:
- No. 237 Beijing West Road
- Phone:
- 0951-2031199
Meng's Snack Shop
EntertainmentBe sure to order the gaodan niangpi (cold wheat-gluten noodles), which have a chewy texture and taste excellent. The grey bean dessert is also highly recommended: it tastes slightly sour at first, but the aftertaste is surprisingly sweet.
- Address:
- Huimin Lane, No. 1-6
- Phone:
- 0951-6034981
Where to stay
Yinchuan's affordable cost of living will make travellers from big cities envious, so there is no need to worry about finding a cheap yet comfortable place to stay here.
Xinhua Hotel
Xinhua Hotel- Address:
- No. 203 East Xinhua Street
- Phone:
- 0951-6031353
Shopping
Recommended Shopping
Yinchuan has plenty of shops selling local specialties, but head to the Beijing Hualian Supermarket underground at the South Gate instead: it is cheaper and reliable! For shopping malls, the old pedestrian street district is enough, as Xinhua Department Store has more or less monopolised Yinchuan's department store business.
Ningxia's Five Treasures
These are red goji berries, yellow licorice, Helan stone, white Tan sheepskin and black fat choy (hair seaweed). Licorice and fat choy are wild grassland specialties, but in recent years overharvesting has damaged the vegetation, and the government has banned their digging. To help protect the land from desertification and to reduce ignorant damage, please understand and refuse to buy the illegally harvested “black and yellow treasures”.
Day trips & beyond
Helan Mountain National Forest Park
About 50 km west of Yinchuan lie the Helan Mountains, which run northeast to southwest. The range forms a boundary: Inner Mongolia lies to the west and Ningxia to the east. It stretches more than 200 km, 15–60 km wide, with its main peak, Aobao Gedaa, rising to 3,556 m, over 2,000 m above the Yinchuan Plain. The standard route includes the Western Xia Imperial Tombs, Helankou Rock Art, Suyukou Scenic Area and Zhenbeibu Western Film Studio. Because these sights all lie along the Helan Mountain corridor west of Yinchuan, they are usually combined into a basic full-day chartered-car itinerary and are a highlight of Yinchuan tourism. Helankou is one of the routes into the mountains for climbing the main peak. Locals say that deep in the mountains beyond this pass, rock carvings lie scattered. Within an area of 0.38 square kilometers there are hundreds of primitive petroglyphs; some look fierce, others strange and amusing, and their dates of carving still cannot be determined. The most representative is the Sun God figure on the mid-slope to the north.
2–3 hours
Shahu Lake, Ningxia
Shahu Lake lies 56 km north of Yinchuan. Covering 7.32 square kilometers, it is Ningxia's largest freshwater lake, roughly one and a half times the size of West Lake. Shahu is one of China's 35 flagship attractions, with well-equipped facilities for sand sliding, water slides, all kinds of pleasure boats and speedboats, and bathing. You can first take a boat out to the sandbar to play, then catch any boat heading back to the main gate. If you're in the mood, you can also camp and barbecue here; on a moonlit night, the blue-green waters around the sandbar are something special. Shahu is also rich in fish, and the aquarium on the south shore displays dozens of rare species. Around the western side of the lake you'll find sand sliding, camel and horse riding, swimming, fishing, paragliding, beach volleyball and football, as well as scenic sightseeing flights.
1 day
Shuidonggou Archaeological Site
One of the richest Late Paleolithic sites discovered in China to date. Excavations show that humans were living here as early as over 30,000 years ago. Within the scenic area are two lakes, Hongshan Lake and Yuanyang Lake, both of which let visitors boat past the Great Wall. According to Ningxia cultural relics and archaeology experts, the site is a garrison fortress of the Ming Great Wall, and it is the most intact three-dimensional military defense complex of the ancient Great Wall discovered in Ningxia.
3–4 days
Western Xia Imperial Tombs National Archaeological Site Park
Known as the “Pyramids of the East,” the site sits on the eastern foot of the Helan Mountains on Yinchuan's western outskirts and is the burial ground of the emperors of the Western Xia dynasty. The necropolis measures 10 km north to south and 4 km east to west, and contains nine imperial mausoleums and more than 140 tombs of princes and officials with sacrificial burials. The surviving mausoleum platforms stand more than 20 m tall, huge earthen-yellow structures shaped like steamed buns (窝头). Tomb passages more than 40 m long dive underground like a dragon's spine. Mongol troops burned the timber eaves atop the platforms, and the passage of time has buried the tomb roads. All that remains are solitary mounds scattered across the vast land, quietly desolate at the foot of the Helan Mountains.
2–4 hours
Zhenbeibu Western Film Studio
Zhenbeibu Western Film Studio is just 2 km from Huaxia Zhenqi Art City (华夏珍奇艺术城). It was originally an abandoned Ming-dynasty fortress in the western desert, and the surrounding area is rich in scenic and historic sites. The studio has hosted the filming of nearly 100 film and TV productions, including *Red Sorghum*, *Ashes of Time*, *A Chinese Odyssey* and *New Dragon Gate Inn*. It enjoys the reputation of being “where Chinese cinema went out into the world.”
3–4 hours
Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 784–800. Translated from the Chinese edition; names and prices follow the guidebook. · Plain text version