CITY · NINGXIA
Yinchuan
银川 · Yínchuān
Overview
Capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Western Xia tombs, Hui Muslim culture, the Helan Mountains and the Yellow River desert oasis landscape.
Yinchuan is a mid-sized provincial capital with a deep history — the capital of the Western Xia Tangut empire (1038–1227), conquered and erased by the Mongols. The Western Xia Imperial Tombs ('the Pyramids of China') sit in the desert west of the city. The Hui Muslim heritage gives the city its distinctive food culture, similar in some ways to Lanzhou's.
What to see
- Western Xia Imperial Tombs
- Helan Mountains rock art
- Sand Lake (Shahu)
- Zhongwei Shapotou Desert (south of the city)
What to eat
- Lamb dishes (Ningxia is famous for sheep)
- Hand-pulled noodles
- Wolfberries (Ningxia is the home of the goji berry)
Getting there
Yinchuan Hedong (INC) airport. HSR: Lanzhou 2h, Xi'an 3h.
Getting around
Bus and taxi. No metro. Tour bus to the Western Xia Tombs.
Where to stay
Central Xingqing district.
We list neighbourhoods, not specific hotels — we don't endorse hotels.
When to go
May–June, September–October.
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥200 |
| Mid-range | ¥450 |
| Comfortable | ¥1000 |
Itineraries visiting Yinchuan
Food of Northwestern China
- Biangbiang Noodlesbiáng biáng 面
Wide, hand-pulled, belt-shaped Shaanxi noodles. The 'biang' character is the most complex in the Chinese language.
- Big Plate Chicken大盘鸡
A large-portioned Xinjiang braised chicken dish with potatoes, peppers and thick hand-pulled belt noodles.
- Hand-Grasped Lamb手抓羊肉
Large bone-in lamb pieces boiled in spiced water and eaten by hand — a communal dish of Inner Mongolia and the northwest.
- Laghman (Hand-Pulled Noodles with Lamb)拉条子
Uyghur hand-pulled wheat noodles with a lamb-and-vegetable sauce of tomato, pepper and onion.
Spotted something out of date? Submit a correction.
Research
Cross-checked against primary sources
Verified
Address, hours, fees confirmed at the date shown
Updated
Re-verified periodically; corrections welcome