The majestic Helan Mountain, the rolling Yellow River, meanders the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty.
The desert is connected to the lake, and the ancient and modern blend together.
The scenery of Ningxia completely exceeded expectations! I thought it was a disgraceful place, and I couldn't get used to the customs and food, so I dragged my flight to Yinchuan until there was really nowhere else to go. Unexpectedly, the 4-day journey was completely amazed by the unique scenery and history of Ningxia~~Shapotou, Shuidonggou, Tengger Desert, Yellow River Grand Canyon, Xixia Mausoleum, Helan Mountain rock paintings, wine estates... everything is full of the same Different charm~
DAY 1 Tianjin - Yinchuan
I got off the plane at 2:00 p.m., the sky in Yinchuan is blue and white, the sky is high and the clouds are light, and there is a sea of flowers outside the terminal building. There is no sign of disgrace at all. I have a hunch that the trip to Ningxia in the next few days will have surprises beyond expectations~
I didn’t do much strategy, so I temporarily decided to take a taxi from the airport to Hengcheng by the Yellow River. I happened to walk into the characteristic castle on the high slope of the loess, and came across a part of the rammed-earth Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty.
As a fan of the Great Wall and Qi Jiguang, I will be inexplicably moved when I see any section of the Great Wall!
The Hengcheng Castle, built in the fifth year of Zhengde in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1510), is the strategic defense system of the Great Wall against the invasion of northern minorities and the closest to the Yellow River:
Hengcheng Ancient Ferry was the famous Hue Ancient Ferry as early as the Western Xia Dynasty, with a history of more than 1,000 years.
Dazed by the ancient ferry of the Yellow River~~
The water of the Yellow River is very cool. The shallow river water looks relatively clear. The lower half of the river is silted up, nourishing the vegetation and reeds on both sides of the river. On the other side of the river, there are cute lambs grazing~
After a preliminary taste of the castles and ancient ferries in the northwest frontier style, I went shopping until after 5 pm.
I plan to take a taxi back to downtown Yinchuan, but I didn’t expect that Hengcheng is only 17 kilometers away from the city, and it belongs to the suburbs. There are no taxis and Didi orders~~ Finally, with the help of a few enthusiastic local sisters, I called to arrange a minibus to go to Yinchuan The south gate of the city.
The south gate of the old city of Yinchuan is the only and most complete gate tower preserved among the six ancient gate towers in the ancient city of Yinchuan. It looks like Tiananmen Square in appearance.
The South Gate Square in front of the South Gate used to be the place where major celebrations and gatherings were held in Yinchuan City. When we passed by, we saw the lively night market and fountains.
South Gate is not far from Yinchuan's Xinhua Business Circle, Yuhuang Pavilion and Drum Tower, and other attractions in the old city.
On the way from the South Gate to the Drum Tower, I happened to see the Yuhuang Pavilion. It is very lively here. I found a street massage stall for the cervical spine and lumbar spine. After a neck and waist massage, the effect is too obvious, and the fatigue of the afternoon dissipates immediately~~
The Yuhuang Pavilion was first built in the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty and has a history of more than 600 years. It is said that when you climb to the top of the pavilion, you can lean on the railing to overlook the majestic Helan Mountain in the west and the rolling Yellow River in the east. But it was getting late that day, and there was no time to climb to the top of the pavilion.
Continue to walk to the Drum Tower. Yinchuan Drum Tower is also known as "Cross Drum Tower" and "Four Drum Towers". It is located at the intersection of Jiefang East Street and Gulou South North Street, close to Yuhuang Pavilion and Xinhua Street Pedestrian Street. It is a landmark building in the old street of Yinchuan :
I took a taxi after 8 o'clock in the evening and found a hotel on Beijing Middle Road, Jinfeng District. The environment here is very good~
DAY 2 Shapotou, Tengger Desert
On the second day, I participated in a one-day tour of Shapotou and Tengger Desert. There were 4 people in a group, two Tianjin aunts and two Beijing girls. The driver Li Haitao is very talkative, warm and thoughtful introduction of Ningxia's attractions, making the journey full of fun~
I first saw Helan Mountain and the Ming Great Wall at Sanguankou. The Great Wall at Sanguankou is the junction of Ningxia and Alxa Left Banner in Inner Mongolia. Three passes. The mountains here are winding and winding, and the terrain is majestic and steep. In the col where the two mountains were originally facing each other, a pass was built.
Yinchuan is located in the northwestern border of the motherland. In the Ming Dynasty, the Mongolian Tatars and Oirats often entered the Chimukou of Helan Mountain from the Alashan Platform in Inner Mongolia, and drove directly to all parts of the plain. For the sake of border security, the rulers of the Ming Dynasty built the Great Wall (known as the border wall) at Sanguankou and set up a pass, making it one of the "four dangers" of ancient Yinchuan city defense.
Near the junction of Zhongwei in Ningxia and Alashan in Inner Mongolia, the driver stopped and took the initiative to take road photos for fellow riders:
The Tengger Desert is located at the junction of Zhongwei in Ningxia, Alxa Left Banner in Inner Mongolia and central Gansu. It takes nearly three hours to drive from Yinchuan.
The Tengger Desert is the fourth largest desert in China. The Great Wall of South Vietnam reaches Helan Mountain in the east and Yabulai Mountain in the west.
The Mongolian language of Tengger is Tian, which means that the vast quicksand is like the boundless sky.
Under the blue sky, the desert is vast, desolate and majestic, and the undulating sand dunes of thousands of miles are scattered high and low like solidified waves~
When in the desert, you must ride a camel! On the back of a camel, looking at the surrounding golden sand sea, it is magnificent.
When I came to the Tengger Desert, I immediately realized the feeling of the solitary smoke in the desert and the sun setting in the long river. The desert is vast and boundless, and it is extremely small to be alone in the desert!
We took an off-road vehicle into the desert, there are many rides, I strongly recommend the off-road vehicle sand sea surfing, camel riding, sand boarding, desert zip line, so much fun!
Shapotou is located about 20 kilometers west of Zhongwei City, about 20 minutes from Tengger to Shapotou.
Shapotou Scenic Area is surrounded by mountains in the south, the majestic and majestic Qilian Mountains, Fragrant Mountains, and the Tengger Desert in the north. On one side is the vast Tengger Desert, and on the other side is the endlessly flowing Yellow River. The scenery is very magnificent!
Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei's famous line through the ages, "The solitary smoke in the desert is straight, and the long river sets the sun round", which is described here~~
Here is the largest natural sand skiing field in China, and the "No. 1 cable in the world on the Yellow River" that flies over the Yellow River~
We traveled on the Yellow River in a speedboat and a sheepskin raft. On the return trip, the boatman on the sheepskin raft sang the Ningxia folk song Huaer:
This kind of beautiful flower grows in the desert area. The local people call it "Desert Girl".
In addition to taking a sheepskin raft, an ancient means of transportation, swim on the Yellow River. If you are brave enough, you can also play the zipline across the banks of the Yellow River and feel the excitement of flying across the Yellow River. Of course, riding a camel in the desert is a must-experience activity. Enjoy the golden sand sea on the back of a camel and experience the feeling of time travel along the Millennium Silk Road~~
When visiting Shapotou, you can also see the Baolan Railway across the desert.
In the south of the scenic spot are scattered the remains of the Great Wall during the Qin and Warring States periods, with a long history.
This is also a well-known desert control experimental area in China. The "wheat straw grid" in the experimental area is known as a miracle in the history of desert control.
Returned to Yinchuan from Zhongwei at 8 o'clock in the evening, and ended a happy day!
DAY 3 Helan Mountain Rock Paintings, Xixia Mausoleum, Chengbeibao Film and Television City, Winery
On the third day, I participated in a one-day tour of Helan Mountain Rock Paintings, Xixia Mausoleum, and Chengbeibao Film and Television City. Today’s riders are some very cute post-80s~~ A beautiful woman from Xinjiang who works in Shanghai, and a handsome guy from Hubei who works in Shenzhen. Xiaoyong, Handsome IT guy Heng from Panjin, Liaoning~~
Xixia Mausoleum National Archaeological Site Park (also known as Xixia Royal Mausoleum), located at the foot of Helan Mountain in the western suburbs of Yinchuan City, is the royal mausoleum of the Xixia Dynasty, where many emperors of the Xixia Dynasty were buried. Now there are 9 imperial mausoleums and more than 140 accompanying tombs in the entire mausoleum area, which is one of the largest royal mausoleums in Chinese history. The shape of the mausoleum is different from other Chinese mausoleums, it is in the shape of an inverted corn head.
At the foot of Helan Mountain, it is formed of piled soil, which has a history of thousands of years ago.
Nine Xixia emperors are buried here, and here is the Xixia King Tomb:
There are also Xixia Museum, Xixia History Art Museum, Xixia Forest of Steles, etc. in the scenic area.
Because I am interested in the history of the Song Dynasty and the ups and downs of Liao, Jin, Xixia, and Yuan, this attraction is actually a long-awaited check-in place.
This time I learned that the Xixia Dangxiang people migrated from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to Ningxia along the Yellow River:
Li Yuanhao is the founding emperor of Xixia, a member of the Dangxiang clan, after the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei clan in the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Li surname was given by Tang Dynasty. On November 10, 1038, he established himself as emperor and broke away from the Song Dynasty. The country was named "Great Xia", also known as Xixia, and his capital was Xingqing.
Take a look at the hairstyle of Li Yuanhao, the king of Xixia, which is similar to the Mediterranean hairstyle of several murderers in 2020:
Xixia people imitated Chinese characters to create Xixia script:
When Li Yuanhao was young, he was tall, hard-working and eager to learn. He was fond of law and military literature. He was proficient in Chinese and Tibetan languages.
When his father was in power, he had been constantly going out to fight and expand his power. Unwilling to submit to the Song Dynasty, he was resolute and bold, so he proclaimed himself Emperor Jianguo and Xia.
Indulging in wine and sex in his later years, he was very happy, occupied the crown princess, was murdered by his son Ning Lingge, and was buried in Tailing after his death.
Leaving Xixia Mausoleum, we headed towards Helan Mountain~
Helan Mountain rock paintings are located in Jinshan Township, Helan County, Yinchuan City. The petroglyphs were born roughly 10,000 years ago. They are pictures drawn and carved on rocks by ancient ancestors using realistic or abstract artistic techniques over the long years. They record all aspects of ancient human social life in Yinchuan.
In ancient times, Helan Mountain was the place where the Xiongnu, Xianbei, Turkic, Uighur, Tubo, Dangxiang and other northern minorities lived, lived and multiplied. They chiseled the scenes of production and life on the rocks of Helan Mountain to express their yearning and pursuit of a better life, and reproduced their aesthetic views, social customs and life interest at that time. In the hinterland of Helan Mountain, which is more than 200 kilometers long from north to south, there are more than 20 remains of rock paintings. Among them, the most representative ones are Helankou Rock Paintings.
Among the many Helan Mountain petroglyphs, the tour guide specially introduced a rock painting of "Sun God".
There is also a Rock Art Museum and Han Meilin Art Museum in the scenic area to visit.
Haha, I came to Zhenbeibao Western Studios again in the afternoon! The filming location of many classic movies.
Western Movie City is located in Xixia District of Yinchuan, which is characterized by simplicity, roughness and desolation.
Classic films such as "The Wrangler", "Red Sorghum", "A Chinese Journey to the West", "Assassin's Mausoleum" and "Jin Yiwei" have been filmed here, as well as more than 100 influential film and television films. A large number of Chinese film industry celebrities are here. left footprints.
The cinema is composed of three parts: Ming City, Qing City and Old Yinchuan Street.
The Ming City and Qing City in the film city were rebuilt from the military castles left over from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The city outlines still retain the unique desolate, dilapidated and undefeated scene outside the Northwest Great Wall.
In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, you can see many familiar movie scenes, such as: the city gate tower where Monkey King and Zixia Fairy stand in "A Chinese Journey to the West", the platform where the Bull Demon King invites relatives, the moon gate in the movie "Red Sorghum", " The wine-making workshop where my grandpa got drunk, the vats for holding wine, bowls, etc.
Under the suggestion of the beauty Xiaowu in Xinjiang, I unexpectedly added a wonderful itinerary today, to visit the wine estate!
I heard that the owner of the winery is from Anhui. Here you can really see the characteristics of Huizhou architecture that is good at stone carving, wood carving and brick carving~
The design and display of the winery show the owner's elegant taste everywhere:
Tasting wine with the lovely post-80s~~
On the way back, the beauty Xiaowu from Xinjiang helped us negotiate with the driver and sent them to the famous Huaiyuan Night Market in Yinchuan, the largest night market in Northwest China~
In the evening, I took a taxi to Yuehai CBD and visited the China-Arabia axis.
The China-Arab axis is the center of trade negotiations between Chinese and Arab heads of state, as well as economic and cultural exchanges. The night scene is very dreamy and gorgeous~~
I ran into a few Xinjiang elder sisters on the China-Arab axis, and danced a Xinjiang dance for us, ending the day's trip with laughter~
When I ran into a few Xinjiang elder sisters, they were shouting in an attic with an echo. We joined in and shouted a few times, and then invited them to dance a Xinjiang dance. The elder sister in red found the music on her mobile phone and danced. The dancing postures are very cheerful, joyful and charming, and our hearts are full of joy. This day's itinerary is extremely colorful!
DAY 4 Yellow River Grand Canyon, Shuidonggou
On the fourth day, I chartered a Didi Express to visit the Yellow River Grand Canyon in Qingtongxia City, Wuzhong, and visit Shuidonggou near the airport after returning.
The driver Xiao Guo is also born in the 1980s. Didi Express is a part-time job and the main job is a teacher. No wonder he speaks clearly and has a wide range of knowledge. He introduced the situation in Ningxia and Yinchuan in detail. He also talked about his work and children's education on the road. , there are many admirable and appreciative places~
Passing by the Yellow River Tower in Wuzhong City along the way:
"The orchard at the foot of Helan Mountain is completed, and it is famous in the south of the Yangtze River"
"The Yellow River in the world is rich in Ningxia, and it is close to the south of the Yangtze River to see Wuzhong." Wuzhong in the central part of Ningxia is a place with beautiful mountains and rivers.
The Yellow River Tower is located on the west bank of the Yellow River, along the Qingtongxia Binhe Avenue.
Arrive at the Yellow River Grand Canyon at noon, which is the last canyon in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, known as the "Little Three Gorges of the Yellow River".
In the scenic area, Qingtongxia Dam, Ningxia Water Conservancy Expo, 108 Towers, Dayu Cultural Park, Niushou Shanxi Temple and many other scenic spots are distributed on both sides of the Yellow River, which is dizzying. The Yellow River Grand Canyon is very magnificent!
Qingtongxia, Liujiaxia, Sanmenxia, and the three major hydropower stations of the Yellow River will finally be seen!
Qingtongxia Irrigation District is an ancient irrigation district in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, which created Wuzhong with rich products in ancient times.
The pivotal project, built in the 1950s and 1960s and used today with irrigation and power generation as its main function, has completely ended the history of water diversion without dams in irrigation areas for more than a thousand years, improved the guarantee rate of canal water, and expanded the irrigated area.
Today's reservoir is vast and shimmering, and the islands, beaches, forests and grasses are covered with lush greenery. It is already a part of the Yellow River Grand Canyon scenic spot and one of Wuzhong's business cards.
The scenery of the Grand Canyon is no less than that of the Lijiang River, and it shows the Yellow River culture, Xixia culture, and the scenery of the south of the Yangtze River.
It is recommended to buy a package ticket with a cruise ship, so that you can visit the entire scenic spot, you can see more scenery in the depths of the canyon, and you can see the southernmost tip of the Qilian Mountains in the deepest part!
The 108 pagodas of Qingtongxia, surrounded by mountains and rivers, are ancient and magnificent
The 108 pagoda was built in the Xixia period. It is a Lamaism pagoda. Standing at the foot of the pagoda and counting each pagoda, 108 kinds of troubles have been eliminated.
It is said that there are 108 kinds of troubles in the world, here are 108 kinds of antidote for you~~
Canals were built in the Qin and Han Dynasties, and scenery was completed in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Overlooking the Yellow River and Tanglai Canal:
Dayu was the first person in Chinese history who declared war on nature and made brilliant achievements. He was the founder of China's first slavery country and one of the ancestors of Chinese civilization. As a collection of Chinese history and culture, thousands of Dayu has been walking with the Chinese civilization for many years, endlessly.
The sky is full of green, and the earth is full of yellow. Today, on the bank of the Yellow River in the Grand Canyon, the layers of Dayu Cultural Park have become a national monument and spiritual home.
Dayu Cultural Park:
Originally curious why Qingtongxia built the Dayu Cultural Park. After checking the information, I found out that there is a folk song circulating around Qingtongxia: "Yu has practiced for ten years, cast an ax to open bronze, Jinniu towns the mouth of the gorge, and kills the dragon to ensure a good harvest." , Dayu's water control left in Aishan, Qingtongxia, "cutting through the river, like the old traces of Yu", so Dayu has a very close relationship with Qingtongxia. There are many relics about Dayu in Qingtongxia. In history, there are not only the bronze traces of Yu, the cave of King Yu, but also the temple of King Yu. The literati of all dynasties have left poems and songs in praise of Yu's great achievements.
Back to Shuidonggou Scenic Spot in Yinchuan at 5:00 p.m.
The Shuidonggou site is the earliest Paleolithic site excavated in China. It is known as "the birthplace of Chinese prehistoric archaeology". It is the only and most complete three-dimensional military defense system of the Great Wall.
The first thing you see when you enter the scenic spot is the Museum of Relics, the only theme museum in Northwest China that shows the cultural features of the Paleolithic Age.
One wall spans two provinces. Inside the Great Wall is Ningxia, and outside the Great Wall is the Mu Us Desert in Ordos, Inner Mongolia.
There are yurts outside the Great Wall, and there are raised camels, sheep, horses, poultry and dogs.
This part of the Great Wall is very interesting. Life inside and outside the Great Wall is completely different, and the contrast is very interesting.
Zhangsan’s small shop was the place where two Frenchmen stayed, and it was these two Frenchmen who discovered the Shuidonggou site.
Shuidonggou is a very good scenic spot. I personally like it very much. You can travel through time and space from 30,000 to 500 years here. With the help of the staff member Hulunbeier, we enjoyed VIP treatment, took a boat directly to Hongshan Lake, and rowed on the lake to the Tibetan Soldiers Cave~
Shuidonggou, a deep and unpredictable canyon, goes straight up and down, as if created by magic:
Zangbing Cave is near the exit of Shuidonggou Scenic Area. It is a very interesting place. Walking through the river valley with earth cliffs on both sides, you can see the entrance of this Tibetan soldier cave near the mouth of the ditch.
In the deep and unpredictable Grand Canyon connecting Shuidong to Hongshanbao, there is a cave of Tibetan soldiers in the Ming Dynasty more than 500 years ago. It is even more magical relying on the majestic Great Wall, steep cliffs, and mysterious ancient castles.
Listening to the guide's explanation is both interesting and effective, otherwise I will not understand the purpose of every detail. In the nearly 1,000-meter tunnel of the Shuidonggou Zangbing Cave, there are military defense facilities such as small granaries, wells, kitchen stoves, armories, gunpowder magazines, traps, hidden weapon tunnels, and forts pointing to the Grand Canyon.
There are two open Tibetan soldier caves, which are not continuous, and you can come out of one cave and walk to the other in the middle. The Zangbing Cave is like the tunnel in the movie Tunnel Warfare. It not only has tunnels, but also traps, storage rooms, living rooms, kitchens, lookout holes, ventilation holes and other facilities. It is a complete system of ancient underground fortifications.
Only when you are on the scene can you feel the maze-like tunnel inside. Some places have collapsed, and some places are not open. Even so, the open parts are enough to make tourists feel emotional. After walking through the long burrow for a long time, I finally walked out of the exit, and saw a meadow suddenly enlightened!
Being a warrior in ancient times was really hard...
Taking a camel cart on the pasture to the next boarding point, the old man driving the car sang a Northwest folk song:
The last vehicle is this tractor! It was so interesting, a few Cantonese women in the back row sang excitedly~~
After the happy night tour in Shuidonggou, it is already 7 or 8 o'clock in the evening~
Xiao Guo picked us up from the exit and went to the Yellow River Military Culture Expo Park as planned to enjoy the night view of the famous Binhe Yellow River Bridge in Yinchuan.
It is said that the bridge was completed in 2016. The bright and beautiful night view is comparable to the London Bridge. There is a section of the widest artificial waterfall in China in the middle. The night view when the lights are on is like the picture above! But today, for some unknown reason, the lights were not turned on. The night view is as shown in the picture below, haha~~ Maybe it has been like this recently because of the epidemic, leaving a little regret!
Xiao Guo sent us to the airport ahead of the flight at 10 o'clock in the evening.
As a follower of Xixia culture, I also want to try Xixia beer. The Xixia beer I bought a few days ago has never had a chance to drink. I can finally taste it before the security check. The taste is amazing, no less than Kirin Asahi beer, haha~~
The 4-day wonderful journey visited the main regions and cities of Ningxia, covering three districts, two counties and one city in Yinchuan, three of which are: Xingqing District (Old City), Jinfeng District (New City), Xixia District (New City District) ).
Two counties: Helan County (rock paintings of Helan Mountain), Yongning County (along Yinchuan-Wuzhong)
One city: Lingwu City (Shuidonggou)
The rolling Yellow River is her mother river, and the majestic Helan is her father mountain.
There is the magnificence of the desert and the solitary smoke, and the magnificence of the long river and the sunset.
This is the gold producing area of wine, and also the hometown of Chinese goji berry.
Ningxia used to be "the most barren and barren in the world", but today it is "sufficient to plow and hoe".
The surging water of the Yellow River nourishes the fertile soil on both sides of the river.
The water splash in the ancient irrigation area of diverting the Yellow River can last for thousands of years.
The Hetao Plain is fertile and wild for thousands of miles, with fish leaping and birds singing, Wufu and the people are prosperous.
Goodbye, beautiful Ningxia~~
