Yinchuan, the capital of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, is an often-overlooked city that is irrigated by the mighty Yellow River amidst the arid landscape of China’s dry northwest.
The thin Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in China’s stark northwest is surrounded by Gansu in the south and Inner Mongolia to the north. 20% of China’s Hui Muslim minority lives in this Region, giving Ningxia the nickname “the Muslim region.” The Hui minority originated from the Silk Road, which brought Central Asian traders to China during the Tang dynasty and succeeding waves of migration enriched and enlarged this population.
Recently Yinchuan has been divided into three quarters linked by a 25km road, though locals refer to the city as if it’s divided into two. The western section is the new city while the eastern quarter is the old city. The new city is where the train station is located, but the majority of sights and hotels are located in the old city in the east. Though most people use Yinchuan as a transit point for further adventures into Inner Mongolia, the city has enough personality and interesting sights to hold its own.
Making up 28% of the city’s population, the Hui influence throughout the city is obvious. Whether it’s the Arabic domes of the city mosque rising above the low skyline or the smell of roasted lamb wafting through the market stalls, there’s no mistake that Yinchuan’s heritage is as much Central Asian as Chinese. The old city still manages to retain a sleepy pace with old men wearing their white skullcaps sporting long wispy beards sipping tea along the sides of the road.
The laidback city with its tree-lined streets, it’s melding of Hui and Han ethnic culture belies the chaotic history of the region. Once a region of various feuding kingdoms offering nominal loyalty to the Tang then Song dynasties, the area came under the powerful rule of the Western Xia kingdom from AD 1032 to 1227. Lead by Li Yuanhao, an ethnic Turgut (tuòbá 拓跋), he established the Western Xia as a regional power in the northwest that developed its own distinct writing and culture. Unfortunately Genghis Khan, who initially sought the kingdom as an ally, didn’t take rejection with grace. To his chagrin, his attempts at invasion were repelled six times, with the final campaign proving fatal. He did survive long enough to give the final order to raze the kingdom.
Despite his orders, sights still abound in and around the city. The Chengtian Temple (chéngtiān sì 承天寺) is located in the southwest part of town. Inside the temple ground resides the Chengtian Si Pagoda (chéngtiānsì tǎ 承天寺塔), or known locally as the Western Pagoda (xī tǎ 西塔). This pagoda was built by the widow of Li Yuanhao. After his death, the empress had this Buddhist tower in hopes of ensuring a long life for their year old son. Perhaps because Genghis Khan’s underlings carried out his final order to destroy the Western Xia with such zeal, this is the only pagoda that retains any surviving records of its construction. The octagonal pagoda is 64.5m high and was built in AD 1050. Climb up the pagoda for a good view of Yinchuan and of the nearby Helan Shan (hèlán shān 贺兰山). The temple originally had two courtyards; one of them is now occupied by the Ningxia Museum (níngxià bówùguǎn 宁夏博物馆), which has 4 exhibition halls detailing the Western Xia, Hui culture and history, Ningxia history and the prehistoric paintings at Helan Shan.
In the old section of town is the Nanguan Mosque (nánguān qīngzhēn sì 南关清真寺), which was originally built at the end of the Ming dynasty and rebuilt in 1981. The Arabic styled domes can be clearly seen rising above the city’s low skyline, which isn’t often seen because the majority of mosques in China adopt Sinicized architectural styles that are hard to distinguish for the untrained eye. The two-storey main hall has the prayer hall on the second level, if here on a Friday, the Islamic holy day, the area will seem as if deluged in a sea of white as the pious don their white skullcaps and kneel in prayer. The prayer hall can hold up to 1,300 devout worshippers. There’s also an exhibition hall displaying Muslim texts from the Koran. The mosque also welcomes non-believers, though one must observe proper etiquette and dress modestly.
The Haibao Pagoda (hǎibǎo tǎ 海宝塔) stands on the foundations of a 5th century pagoda in northern Yinchuan. The original pagoda was destroyed in an earthquake in 1739 and the current one dates from 1771. The pagoda itself is uniquely constructed with outcropping niches that make it appear multi-sided. Climbing to the top also rewards with a spectacular view of the countryside, the nearby mountains and the Yellow River. A 7m Buddha relaxes in one of the halls on the temple grounds.
30km from Yinchuan is the Western Xia Imperial Tombs (xīxià wánglíng 西夏王陵). Measuring 50km², 9 large tombs hold the remains of Western Xia emperors plus 140 accompanying tombs for their courtiers, some of whom may not have actually been dead when buried along with their emperor. Many of the tombs were destroyed by the Mongols, with grave robbers finishing the area off, though archeologists still make the occasional find. Unique to China, the tumuli are shaped as pyramids.
About 50km northwest of Yinchuan is Helan Shan. About 3,000 to 10,000 years ago, the people who lived in the area immortalized themselves by painting various scenes of their lives and their beliefs into the rock face. Over 1,000 petroglyphs have been discovered at the Helan Shan Yanhua (hèlánshān yánhuà 贺兰山岩画) site. At Helan Kou is a valley that penetrates through the desolate mountain. On both sides of this valley, running for 600m are where most of the paintings are. The ancient artists left vivid depictions of hunting, herding, battles, dancing and religious ceremonies with many of the human figures painted in an abstract style. Halfway up the mountain is an impressive painting of what’s believed to be a sun deity, which is definitely worth the hike. The Western Xia also added their legacy to the rock face by carving intricate calligraphy over the ancient petroglyphs. If the cliff paintings don’t perk your interest, the stunning mountains and views will.