Geographic coordinates: E105°49′-106°53′   N37°29′-38°53′

Population: 1.4879 m (2007)

Area: 3,664.5 sq mi

Average altitude: 3,609 ft

Average temperature: 47 ℉ 

Annual rainfall: 7.9 in

IDD: 86 – 0951

Yinchuan is the capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. It is located in the heart of  Ningxia Plain, with Mt. Helan in the west and the Yellow River in the east, between the rolling grasslands of Inner Mongolia to the east and the mountains and deserts of Gansu to the west. Ningxia is poor with its hostile climate and remote location. It would have been almost uninhabitable, but for the Yellow River and the irrigation channels built in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD). It has developed its peculiar agriculture and been labeled as a land abound with food provisions. Historically the city came to form in the Western Xia Period (1038-1237AD), when the founder of the kingdom, Li Yuanhao, established the city as his capital. The city is a pleasant area, with many green areas and a vibrant atmosphere. It is originally chosen as a capital because it was well protected by the Helan Mountain Range to the north and well supplied by the Yellow River to the southeast. The royal mausoleum of the Western Xia State is historical evidence of the combination of the Chinese culture and the culture of the Western Region.

Yinchuan is rapidly transforming itself into a center of economy, finance, trade, transportation, science, technology, culture, and tourism in northwestern China. It is ready to welcome friends from all parts of the world. Nowadays the city has been enlarged a lot, with the New City, the industrialized section of the city spreading out to the east. It has little interest beyond holding the railway station and for its proximity to the airport. The new city is quite far from the old. The old city to the west is green and peaceful, containing all of the sights and the best hotels. The old city is not only of fresher atmosphere but also of more proximity to the sights than the new. The city's most interesting sight, the mysterious Xixia Wangling, or Mausoleums of the Western Xia, is some 12.4 miles away from the city.

Most of the food in Yinchuan is strongly Islamic influenced, since almost 30% of the population here is of the Muslim Hui Minority. Muslim restaurants and food stalls are found on almost every street. The most common dishes are of the lamb and beef variety, accompanied by dumplings and noodle. These types of food are worth trying, not just for a cultural experience, but because their good taste and low price! It is also possible to try western food in Yinchuan, which is expensive and only in the top hotels. Seafood is also available, which is famous in Yinchuan, despite the long distance from the sea.

Attractions

Nanguan Mosque   Jade Emperor Pavilion   Chengtiansi Pagoda   Haibao Pagoda   Sand Lake   Shapotou   Western Xia Tombs