Yinchuan Travel Guide 2023

Yinchuan is a less-known city among China’s provincial capital cities. However, it is not less-attractive. Since the magnificent Helan Mountain and majestic Yellow River together created Yinchuan Plain, the diversified cultures were born and prospered here. In addition, Yinchuan is also a top choice for travelers in search of quality wines, desert view and waterscape. Your trip in Yinchuan will never be monotonous. As the capital city and tourist distribution center of Ningxia, Yinchuan is also equipped with an international airport and several railway stations. From Yinchuan, you can travel to many other charming destinations in Ningxia, such as Zhongwei (Shapotou Desert), Guyuan (Xumishan Grottoes), Qingtongxia (QIngtongxia Gorge), etc.

Why Visit Yinchuan:

• Winery - Thanks to the special climate and geography, Yinchuan is endowed with an excellent environment to produce the best wines. If you are a wine enthusiast, don’t forget to visit one winery and get an authentic taste of the land.
• Mysterious Western Xia - The Western Xia Dynasty once was a powerful dynasty lasting over 100 years before being swept by the Mongol armies. Yinchuan is the ancient capital city of Western Xia Dynasty, and there are historic sites and cultural relics that you can explore.
• Lake View - In long history, the course of the Yellow River has been changed for several times, so many lakes and wetlands were shaped in Yinchuan and made this city famous Lake City beyond the Great Wall. In Yinchuan, you can appreciate great lake view.
• Silk Road - Yinchuan is a brilliant pearl along the Silk Road which connects the East and the West in world history. In Yinchuan,a brief view of how prosperous the Silk Road used to be will be given to all visitors.
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What to See in Yinchuan

In Yinchuan City, there is a mix of different kinds of scenic spots, including ancient pagodas, modern buildings, archaeological sites, green mountains, etc. Check best-recommended attractions below or visit Top 9 Things to Do in Yinchuan for more details.

Western Xia Imperial Tombs

This group of the tombs of imperial emperors of the Western Xia Dynasty is the largest survived imperial tombs park in China as well as the largest survived Western Xia relic site. Three tombs are open to the public, including the tombs of the founding emperor.

Rock Paintings of Helan Mountain

Rock Paintings of Helan Mountain is an art gallery of Chinese Nomadic people. It depicts animals, faces, hunting scenes and some Western Xia characters in real life. The image of the Sun God is a big highlight.

Shuidong Cave

Shuidong Cave is the earliest archaeologic site of Paleolithic Age and China’s best-preserved showplace of military and defensive structures. The ancient City Wall of Ming Dynasty can be viewed in the scenic area.

Ningxia Museum

Ningxia Museum has a quality display of a great number of cultural relics, from which you can get a better understanding of Ningxia’s history, folk customs, artifacts, etc. There are 4 class exhibitions.

China Western Film Studios

Known as the Hollywood in the east, China Western Film Studios is a vast shooting base for western Chinese films including Red Sorghum. Visitors can also enjoy earthy villages, fortresses and other recreations here.

China-Arab Axis Landscape Avenue

China-Arab Axis Landscape Avenue was built to memorize the China-Arab Economic and Travel Forum’s permanent settlement in Yinchuan. Here you can appreciate beautiful Arabic buildings and Chinese buildings.

What to Do in Yinchuan

Drinking Quality Wine

No matter you are a wine lover or not, visiting a winery to take a sip of the wine is a great experience if you travel to Ningxia. In Yinchuan, the top recommended winery must be Chateau Changyu Moser XV.

Tasting Local Food

If you are one who is interested in awesome Ningxia food. There are tons of food stalls with delicious food to please both your tummy and wallet at affordable prices.

Yinchuan Weather & Temperature - Best Time to Go

Yinchuan enjoys a temperate continental climate featured in dry winter and hot summer. It has four distinctive seasons, but cold season is long and the warm season is short. The average temperature of Yinchuan is around 10.6°C. The warmest month is July with an average temperature of 32°C and the coldest month is January with an average temperature of 0°C. It has a large daily temperature difference and annual temperature difference.

The best visiting time is from May to October, especially May, June, September and October. The historical and cultural attractions in Yinchuan can be visited all year round, but the climate is much more comfortable in the recommended months. If you visit summer, you can taste sweet and juicy watermelons.

▶ Read more about Yinchuan Weather >

Yinchuan Transportation - How to Get to / Travel around

Ningxia is located in the northwest part of China and Yinchuan is located in the north part of Ningxia. It borders Shizhuishan City in the north, Wuzhong City in the south, Alxa League in the west and Ordos City in the east. It is 929 km (577 miles) to Beijing, 1615 km (1003 miles) to Shanghai, and 304 km (189 miles) to Lanzhou.

By air: Yinchuan Hedong International Airport operates over 10 international flights to/off Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Nagoya, Osaka, Bangkok and Seoul, as well as about 100 domestic flights to/off Beijing (2.5h), Xian (1h15m), Shanghai(3h10m), Guangzhou (3h10m), Shenzhen (3.5h), Chengdu (1h15m), Chongqing (2h), Zhengzhou (2h), Wuhan (2h15m), Xining (1h5m), etc.

By train: You can take a high speed train to Yinchuan from many domestic cities, like Xian (3h), Shanghai (11.5h), Zhengzhou (5.5h), Chengdu (7h), Jinan (9h), Hefei (9 h), Qingdao (10.5h), Hangzhou (12h), etc. There are some available normal trains, but not recommended because of the long duration.

▶ Read more about How to Get to & Get around Yinchuan >

Yinchuan Accommodation: Where to Stay

In general, the accommodation condition in Yinchuan can’t be compared to the hotels in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, but you can find some good hotels as well. There are three accommodation areas recommended for travelers.

Downtown Area: Accommodating in the downtown area is a great choice for most travelers, because it offers more options and is equipped with convenient transport usually. Recommended hotels include Kempinski Hotel Yinchuan (5-Star), Wanda Realm Yinchuan (5-Star), Yuehai Hotel (5-Star), Guomao Hotels of New Field (3-Star) and Vintage Hill Hotel (3-Star).

Drum Tower Area: Some travelers also like to accommodate in Drum Tower Area, which offers a quick access to the food street. Recommended hotels include Xifujing Hotel (5-Star) and Tongfu Hotel (4-Star).

Yinchuan Railway Station Area: For travelers who will arrive in Yinchuan Railway at night or catch an early morning train, accommodating in Yinchuan Railway Station Area will be efficient. Fuya Garden Hotel (3-Star) is recommended.

Useful Yinchuan Travel Maps

In order to enjoy a better holiday in Yinchuan, it is important to learn about Yinchuan’s location and attractions distribution. China Discovery here collects and makes some high-definition maps for you,. Be free to download and print them and enjoy a more effective Yinchuan tour.

Yinchuan Location Map

Yinchuan Attractions Map

Other Popular Destinations along the Silk Road

If you are one of the travelers whose imagination is captured by the Silk Road, visiting Ningxia is far from enough. Many other provinces (or cities) flourished along the Silk Road has witnessed the transfer of goods and exchange of ideas for hundreds of years, and most of them located in northwestern China. Here are four best places selected to explore the awe-inspiring cultural and natural marvels of the Silk Road. (Check all tourist destinations along the Silk Road.)

Xian

Gansu

Xinjiang

Qinghai