Ningxia

Ningxia is the smallest of China's five autonomous regions and home to many Hui Muslims. If you plan a trip to Ningxia, you'll find an oasis on the Yellow River set between deserts and mountains, the ruins of a forgotten kingdom, and a young wine region that wins international awards.

Things to See in Ningxia

West of Yinchuan, at the foot of the Helan Mountains, rise the tombs of the Western Xia, a Tangut empire destroyed by the Mongols under Genghis Khan in the 13th century. The clay-colored burial mounds stand on the steppe like beehives and have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2025. Thousands of rock carvings have survived in the gorges of the Helan Shan. Near Zhongwei lies Shapotou, where the Tengger Desert meets the Yellow River directly: you can slide down dunes, ride camels, and cross the river on traditional rafts made of inflated sheepskins. The Western Film Studio near Yinchuan, an old fortress complex, served as a backdrop for numerous Chinese films. In the south, in the Liupan Mountains, the landscape turns greener; the Xumishan Grottoes hold Buddhist statues from the 5th to 9th centuries. At Shuidonggou, northeast of Yinchuan, the mud-brick ruins of a Ming fortress and remnants of the Great Wall recall the old border with the steppe; Stone Age finds have also been made here.

Yinchuan and Wine Country

Yinchuan, the capital, lies in a plain irrigated by the Yellow River, with rice paddies and lakes you would hardly expect in such a dry setting. The Nanguan Mosque and the Museum of Hui Culture offer insight into Muslim life. Over the past few decades, one of China's most important wine regions has emerged on the eastern slopes of the Helan Shan; numerous wineries offer tastings, especially of full-bodied red wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon. Many wineries can be visited on guided tours, and some offer overnight stays among the vines.

Food, Getting There and Best Time to Visit

The cuisine is shaped by the Hui: Tan lamb, which is considered tender and free of any gamey taste, mutton stews, hand-pulled noodles, and Babao tea with dates, goji berries and rock sugar. Ningxia is China's best-known growing region for goji berries. Yinchuan has an airport and high-speed rail connections to Lanzhou, Xi'an and Beijing. The best time to visit is between May and October, and the grape harvest in September is especially appealing.