# Western Xia Imperial Tombs National Archaeological Site Park (西夏陵国家考古遗址公园)

Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region · Northwest, China · Guidebook rating: 4/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/western-xia-imperial-tombs-national-archaeological-site-park
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** ¥68; round-trip shuttle bus ¥20
- **Opening hours:** 8：00—17：00
- **Time needed:** 2–4 hours
- **Getting there:** First take a city bus to the railway station, then hire a car to get there, about ¥40. Yinchuan Tourist Bus Station (North Gate Bus Station, 北门汽车站) runs daily buses to the Western Xia Imperial Tombs; the fare is ¥8 and the journey takes about 70 minutes. Alternatively, take the sightseeing bus route from Xinyue Square (新月广场) directly to the Western Xia Imperial Tombs.
- **Good for:** History & Culture

## About 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.

## Tips from the guidebook

- Western Xia culture: a large museum and wax museum have been built on the northeast side of the imperial tombs, where you can learn in depth about Western Xia culture and history, including its rise and fall.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 799. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
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