Learn about Ningxia

Thread Content

Do you want to go to Ningxia? Learn about Ningxia! Take a look at the guide; it will tell you about the highlights of Ningxia. It’s really worthwhile to visit Ningxia! ! ! Introduction: Ningxia’s full name is Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (Ning*a Hui Autonomous Region), abbreviated as Ning; it is one of China’s five autonomous regions. Yinchuan, the capital of the Ningxia Autonomous Region. It is located in the upper reaches of the Yellow River in western China. Ningxia is adjacent to Shaanxi Province to the east, borders the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the west and north, and is connected to Gansu Province to the south. Since ancient times, it has been a region that connects the Central Plains in the east, leads to the Western Regions in the west, and links to the deserts in the north – a place where various ethnic groups have traveled back and forth frequently. Ningxia is known as the \"Jiangnan of the Northern Frontiers\"; it lies at an altitude of 1,100 to 1,200 meters, with its terrain sloping gradually from southwest to northeast. The Yellow River enters the country from Zhongwei, flows northeast across the plains, and then follows the natural terrain to exit through Shizuishan. Thus, since the Qin and Han dynasties, the working people have built canals here for irrigation, thereby developing irrigated agriculture. Through more than 2,000 years of hard work by the working people, this place has long become a \"Jiangnan in the north\" with numerous canals and interconnected pathways. It is now a commercial agriculture base in Ningxia. Climate: Ningxia is not hot in summer. The highest temperature in summer is around 32 degrees. The only downside is that there is little rainfall, and the altitude is high, but the air is excellent and the sky is very blue. Therefore, those who choose to travel in the summer should bring short-sleeved clothes. But if you are going to Liupan Mountain in Guyuan City to escape the heat, you need to bring a thicker jacket, with long sleeves at least. It rains there, and the weather is very cold, but it’s perfect for escaping the heat in summer – the scenery is excellent! Most importantly, if MMs are worried about getting tanned, it’s best to wear sunscreen, hats, sun umbrellas, sunglasses, and so on. Beliefs: Ningxia is a region where Muslims live in large numbers; especially in Wuzhong, southern Zhongwei, and throughout Guyuan, there are many Muslims. The restaurants there are all halal, and pork is not consumed. So when the situation is unclear, avoid mentioning pork when entering a restaurant; it’s best to check whether there is the word \"halal\" on the sign outside. Among the Hui people in Ningxia, who follow the Muslim faith, \"pork\" is considered taboo. Of course, in places like Yinchuan, Shizuishan, and Dawukou, there are many, many Chinese restaurants, and the pork there also tastes very good. However, those who like pork should be careful. In most areas of Ningxia, “pork” is called “da rou”; one should be mindful to follow local customs. Diet: The mutton from Ningxia is one of the best in China. The lamb from Wuzhong Tongxin and Shizuishan Huangquqiao is truly authentic. The restaurants \"Guoqiang Shouzhua\" and \"Lao Mao Shouzhua\" in Yinchuan, as well as the Lamb Hot Pot restaurant at Yingbinlou on Jiefang Road, have a long history in serving lamb. The dishes served at Yingbinlou are particularly delicious, and they are very popular among the people of Yinchuan. There are also many small eateries in Ningxia that sell sheep offal, sheep hooves, and sheep necks. Also, the noodles in Ningxia are excellent. Dumpling dough pulling, dough kneading, stretching the dough, making noodles, and steamed buns with dumplings all have very good flavors. Also, the watermelons, honeydews, melons, and peaches from Ningxia are all excellent. The sun-dried sand melons from Zhongwei in Ningxia are watermelons that are specifically exported abroad. Of course, the goji berries from Ningxia are the most famous (especially those from Zhongning). It’s well worth trying and purchasing. Transportation: Transportation in Ningxia is convenient, with highways covering almost the entire autonomous region. There are many one-way streets in the capital city of Yinchuan, and all of these one-way streets are 4-lane. Yinchuan is known as the Lake City of the Northern Frontier, as well as the Capital of Phoensix; the city is home to numerous lakes. The roads in Yinchuan are very wide; most of them have 8 lanes, and some even have 12 lanes. Beijing Road is very long and runs through the entire city. The Beijing-Tibet, Fuzhou-Yinan, Yinan-Qinghai, and Shijiazhuang-Zhongyuan highways run through the entire region. Except for a section of the highway to the southern Liupan Mountains that is not accessible, highways lead to most areas and attractions. Trains in Ningxia can reach almost all major cities, and flying is also very convenient. Trains are available in places such as Yinchuan, Zhongwei, Guyuan, Wuzhong, Shizuishan, Zhongning, and Qingtongxia; most of them travel along the Baotou-Lanzhou line, with many starting from Urumqi, Lanzhou, and Xi’an. Yinchuan and Zhongwei in Ningxia have airports, while Guyuan is under construction. Yinchuan has flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Urumqi, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Qingdao, Jinan, Nanjing, Changsha, Wuhan, Chongqing, Chengdu, and other places. Flights to Sanya, Lanzhou, and Guilin will soon be launched, as well as regular pilgrim flights to Mecca. Zhongwei Airport was completed at the end of 2008, with flights to Xi’an and Beijing. It will be much more convenient to go to Shapotou this way. The people of Ningxia are very friendly, especially the Hui people. However, a few Hui do not speak Chinese, but the dialect spoken in Ningxia is easy to understand, so communication is generally unproblematic. The main characteristic of the Hui people in Ningxia is that they wear round, flat hats in white or blue. In Ningxia, the days are long and the nights are short, especially in summer, with a significant temperature difference between morning and evening. The starting fare for taxis in Yinchuan is 5 yuan, and buses are also very convenient. There are many hotels in Yinchuan, including numerous luxury hotels. Of course, there are also budget business hotels such as “Rujia”, “Jinjiang Inn” and “Qitian”, which provide free broadband service. The phone area code for Yinchuan is 0951, while the license plate codes Ning A, B, C, D, and E correspond to Yinchuan, Shizuishan, Wuzhong, Guyuan, and Zhongwei respectively. Introduction to the main attractions in Ningxia and travel tips: 1. Helan Mountain rock paintings – One of the 50 most worthwhile places for foreigners to visit; it has a long history and is truly a marvel. It takes 2 hours to get there; it’s very sunny, and there is a museum. The ticket price is 60 yuan. 2. Shapotou is one of the 50 top attractions for foreigners to visit, an **AAAAA-rated site, one of China’s ten most interesting tourist destinations, and one of the five most beautiful deserts mentioned in \"China’s Geography\". The sand is beautiful; it’s fine and soft, and it feels great underfoot. The Baolan Railway passes through. It is world-famous for its efforts to control sand in the Yellow River. There are many entertainment options, such as sand sliding, crossing the Yellow River, gliders, desert go-karts, bungee jumping, and more. The tour lasts about 2 hours. The ticket price is 65 yuan. 3. Haibao Tower and Chengtian Temple Tower are located in Yinchuan City; they are **AA-rated tourist attractions, also known as the North Tower and the West Tower. The tour lasts about half an hour. The ticket price is 10 yuan. 4. Liupanshan boasts beautiful scenery, moderate temperatures, and humid air, making it an ideal destination for escaping the heat. **AAAA Scenic Area, a revolutionary site, is located within the Jingyuan region. There are attractions such as Laolongtan, Yehe Valley, Yanzhi Gorge, and the Liupan Mountain Revolutionary Memorial Hall (free), with varying admission fees. The tour requires at least two days. 5. The 108 Towers in Qingtongxia are located on a steep slope facing east, on the west bank of the Yellow River in Xiakou County, Qingtongxia, Ningxia. Following the slope from top to bottom, the towers are arranged in twelve rows using the odd numbers one, three, five, and seven, forming a massive cluster that takes on a triangular shape; it is named after the number of towers. The only large group of towers of this kind to be found in ancient Chinese tower architecture is located at the last gorge along the upper reaches of the Yellow River in central Ningxia. It is a well-organized, highly regular cluster of towers, comprising 108 towers in total, all of which are built from bricks and covered with lime plaster. The cluster of towers faces east with its back to the mountains and its front facing the water; they are built following the contours of the mountains, arranged in an odd-numbered sequence from top to bottom to form a triangular pattern. With the exception of the largest tower at the very top, the rest are smaller towers. On sunny and breezy days, the 108 towers are reflected in the shimmering water, creating a scene that is both unique and gracefully beautiful. This group of towers is a Buddhist memorial structure. Buddhism holds that there are 108 kinds of afflictions in life, and in order to get rid of these numerous troubles, devout believers wear 108 beads and recite scriptures 108 times. It is said that those who come here on a tour can rid themselves of their worries and gain good fortune and luck by paying homage to the tower. It has a long history; the tour lasts 40 minutes and the ticket price is 20 yuan. 6. Zhongwei Gaomiao: A temple that combines Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism; it features attractions such as the Hall of 108 Arhats and the 18 Levels of Hell (one of China’s four major hells). The tour lasts 40 minutes and the ticket price is 20 yuan. 7. Sha Lake, located in Shizuishan, is an **AAAAA-rated attraction and one of the five most beautiful deserts nominated by \"China’s ** Geography\". It has a unique scenery: there is a lake in the field, and sand in the lake. There are many entertainment options, such as sand sliding, camel riding, speedboats, swimming, surfing, desert motorcycles, and so on. The big fish heads from Shahu are extremely delicious. The tour lasts 1.5 hours and the ticket price is 60 yuan. 8. The Twin Towers at Baisikou were built during the Western Xia dynasty, and remained standing through the great disasters in Haiyuan. The tour lasts half an hour and the ticket price is 10 yuan. 9. Shuidonggou Site: A Paleolithic site, one of the two major Paleolithic sites in China, **AAAA-level tourist attraction. 10. The Ming Dynasty’s troop storage caves feature ingenious design and excellent defensive features, which are truly astonishing. The tour lasts 2 hours and the ticket price is 60 yuan. 11. Sumi Mountain Grottoes, located in Guyuan, is one of China’s top ten grottoes and the only site in Ningxia to have been nominated for World Heritage status. The giant Buddha inside the grotto is the eighth-largest Buddha statue in the world (the largest being the Leshan Giant Buddha). The tour lasts 1 hour and the ticket price is 30 yuan. 12. Zhenbeibao Western Film and Television City is located on the outskirts of Yinchuan, Ningxia. Who would have thought that an ancient Ming dynasty fortress abandoned in the western desert, without ruins as magnificent as those of the Qin capital’s palaces, could still emit such a brilliant glow even after hundreds of years? A famous film studio that has served as the location for numerous movies (including hundreds of films such as \"A Chinese Odyssey,\" \"Red Sorghum,\" \"The Grand Courtyard of the Qiao Family,\" \"Red River Valley,\" and \"New Dragon Inn\"). It was here that renowned directors like Zhang Yimou, Jiang Wen, Gong Li, and Ge You became international stars ； And many other giants of the film industry, such as Xie Jin, Chen Kaige, Teng Wenji, Feng Xiaoning, Chen Jialin, Liu Zhenwei, Xie Tian, Si Qinfu, Chen Hong, Zhu Shimao, Liu Xiaoqing, Ma Jingtao, Zhou Lijing, Wang Fuli, Wang Yumei, Ning Jing, Stephen Chow, Lan Jieying, Zhu Yin, Mo Wenwai, Wu Mengda, Zhang Shi, Zhao Yazi, Ren Dahua, Cheng Kui’an, He Jiajin, and others, have also written their dreams among these ruins. The tour takes 2 hours. 13. The Ningxia Museum was opened in 2008 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Ningxia Province. It features high-tech exhibition halls, including one for rock paintings, one for the general history of Ningxia, one for the history of the revolutions in Ningxia, and one for Ningxia’s modern history. There are audio guide and live guide services available. It’s free, but not complimentary; a limited number of visitors are allowed per day with a ticket. A 1.5-hour tour is worth it. 14. The Royal Tombs of the Western Xia Dynasty – These are sites that are under special protection as cultural relics. They represent the tombs of Li Yuanhao, the king of the Western Xia Dynasty and member of the Dangxiang ethnic group. These royal tombs have unique designs, a long history, and are distributed over a wide area. There are museums, guided tours, and electric bike services. The time is about 1.5 hours. The ticket price is 60 yuan. 15. Danxia landform originates from Danxia Mountain in Renhua, northern Guangdong. It is a unique type of landscape characterized by steep cliffs and numerous rock peaks, formed from thick layers of red sandstone, conglomerate, and other red rocks. These formations result from geological uplift, as well as the effects of water erosion, dissolution, weathering, and landslides. Danxia landforms possess a unique character among the scenic landforms and landscape views in China, and represent one of the important types of scenic spots in the country. 16. Huoshizhai is located in Xiji County, Guyuan City. Its mountains are dark red in color; especially when set against the backdrop of green trees, they resemble bundles of burning flames, which is why it was named Huoshizhai. Every spring and summer, the mountains and fields are covered with flowers and plants, presenting a colorful scene filled with bees and butterflies, exuding vitality. Amid the sparse trees, clusters of arrow bamboo also grow, adding a touch of southern charm to the northern landscapes. Within a hundred miles of Huoshizhai, there are many small, solitary peaks; among the more famous ones are Saozhu Ling, Shisi Mountain, and Zhaobi Mountain. Among them, the Natural Stone City is the most peculiar. Huoshizhai not only boasts fascinating natural landscapes but also more than a dozen grotto structures, which are in the same tradition as those at Mount Sumeru.