AncientYellowRiverCulture
NingxiaislocatedinthetransitionzonebetweentheLoessPlateauandtheInnerMongoliaPlateau.ThankstotheYellowRiver,theNingxiaPlainhasbecomeaplacewherewaterbodiessuchasriversandlakescanbefoundinwhatisotherwiseagenerallyaridregion.TheHelanMountainstothewestweakentheeastwardmovementofhigh-altitudeairflowfromthenorthwest,curbthedesertificationfromTenggerDesert,andactasanaturalbarrierontheNingxiaPlain.
About28kilometerseasttoYinchuanCityistheancientferryontheYellowRiver,namely,Hengchenggudu,whichwasoncethemostimportantferrycrossingbetweentheWesternXiaregimeandtheeasternpartoftheYellowRiver.In1697,EmperorKangxioftheQingDynastyledhisexpeditionaryforcetocrossthereinthebittercoldwintertoputdowntherebellionoftheJunggartribe.TheystayedatYinchuanfor19days.Whentheyleft,theyalsocrossedtheYellowRiverfromtheferry,leavingbehindamemorablesite.
Thereisanancientmeansoftransportation鈥搒heepskinraft,whichisuniquetotheregionasameansoftransportationtocrosstheriverintheupperreachesoftheYellowRiver.Ithasahistoryofmorethan2,000years.AncientNingxiawasaregionwheregroupsofnomadsandpeasentsmetandtraded.Thelocalsgathermaterialsonthespottomakesheepskinraftforwatertransportation.Theloadcapacityofasheepskinraftisaboutoneton,approximatelyequaltotheweightofsixtoeightpeople.Everyraftismadeof48thin-woodenpolestiedintoarectangularwoodenframe,withabout14inflatedgoatskinsfastenedbelow.Becausethesheepskinrafthasnopower,itcanonlyflowdownalongtheriverandcannotgoupstream.Onthereturntrip,itislightandflexibleenoughtobecarriedback.
TheraftisnotonlyauniquemeansoftransportationontheYellowRiver,butalsoafolkart.Becauseofaseriesofstepsinvolved,suchaskillingthesheep,shedding,fermenting,boilingtheskin,andmolding,ittakesaboutamonthtocompletearaft.
Thesheepskinisprocessedandstoredataspecialtemperaturetoensureitisreadyforthenextstep.Afterthewoolhasbeenremoved,theopeningsintheneckandhoofaretightenedonebyone,leavingonlyoneopeningintowhichsaltandwaterarepouredin.Afterleavingittodryoutinthesun,linseedoilispouredintofromtheopeninginordertosealoffporestopreventleakage.Atthelaststageitishungandallowedtodry.Afteritbecomesyellowandtransparent,itistakenasasignthatithasbecomeairtight,flexible,andprotectedfromcracks,anticorrosive,andwaterproof.Thesheepskinraftisaunique,indigenousmeansoftransportationtocrosstheriverintheupperreachesoftheYellowRiver.Withadvancementsintechnologyandeconomicprogress,powerboatsnowdomostoftheheavyliftingwithsheepskinraftsnowbeingusedmostlyastouristattractions.
MysteriousWesternXiaRegime
YinchuanwasoncethecapitaloftheWesternXiaregime.
Asafeudaldynastyfrom1038to1227,itsriseandfallhasleftmanyquestionsunansweredforhistorians.
In1038,LiYuanhaoestablishedtheWesternXiaregimewithhimselfastheself-styledemperor.AsanindependentkingdomruledbyDangxiangpeople,ithaditsownlanguageandcharacter,enactedlawsandregulations,issuedcurrency,andwaseventuallydefeatedbyMongoliansintheirinvasionin1227.WiththeinvasionoftheMongolianforce,alargenumberoftheclassicsoftheWesternXiaregimehavedisappeared,leavingfewdetailedrecordsinexistinghistoricalbooks.TheDangxiangpeoplelosttheircommunallivingareasandweregraduallyassimilatedbytheethnicgroupsaroundthem.Theirethniclanguagehasalsobeenlostandbecomeindecipherable.
WesternXiaImperialTombsarelocatedabout40kilometerswesttoYinchuan,whichalsohappentobetheonlyremainingrelicsofthismysteriousempire.ThescenicareaisamongthemostinterestingimperialmausoleumsinChina.Therearenineemperors鈥檛ombsand140subordinatetombsofvariousshapesandsizes.ItsconstructionscaleiscomparabletothatoftheMingTombsinBeijing.InfluencedbyBuddhismandthecentralplainsculture,itorganicallycombinedwiththeDangxiangculturetoformitsownuniqueform.AfterMongolianforcessackedtheWesternXiaregime,theyruinedthemausoleumsaswell.Thesurfacestructureswerealmostdestroyedcompletely,leavingonlysomestupa-likemoundstowitnessthechangeofhistory.ArepresentativesteleofcharactersoftheWesternXiaregime.Theterrainofthemausoleumsisflat,andcrisscrossedbygullieswashedoutbyflashfloods,wherefinejujubetreesnowgrow.Thecrownofthetreesisnotlargewithdenseandthickleaves.Theyarelikegreenribbons,intertwinedacrossthe53-square-kilometermausoleum.Whatisamazingisthatnogullypassesthroughtheimperialcemetery.Inthepast800years,therehavebeencountlessoutbreaksofflashfloodsaroundtheHelanMountains.However,onlythemausoleumswereleftuntouchedbyflashfloods.Thereasonremainsamysteryfortouristsandhistorianstoponderovertothisday.
HuiCuisine
InNingxia,Huiculturalcharacteristicsarereflectedinallaspectsoflife.Theuniquestyleofthemosques,therestaurants,andthesnackbarswith鈥渉alal鈥漵igns,alldisplayastrongsynthesisofHuiandIslamicculture.
TheHuipeopleareanewethnicgroupformedbytheintegrationofthepeoplefromcentralChinawiththeforeignmerchantsfromPersia,ArabianandCentralAsiancountriesafterthe13thcentury.Westernvegetablessuchascarrots,garlic,andonionswereintroducedtoChinathroughthem.Atpresent,thereare1.9millionHuipeopleinNingxia,whichisthedensestregionacrossChinaoftheethnicpeople,accountingforone-thirdofitswholepopulation.
Asaverydistinctiveethnicgroup,theHuipeoplearehealth-conscious,especiallystrictondietaryhygiene.Onenteringahalalrestaurant,thewindowsareclean,thetables,chairsandtablewareareneatandtidy,whichalwaysgivescustomersagoodfeeling.Huicuisineenjoysalonghistory.Asearlyasthemiddleofthe7thcentury,MuslimmerchantsfromtheArabianandPersianregionscametoChang鈥檃n(nowXi鈥檃n)overlandonbusiness.Theyalsobroughttheircuisine.SomeofthesepeoplestayedinNingxiaforgood,becomingtheearliestHuiancestors.Theykepttheiroriginaldietandlifestyle.Afteryearsofdevelopment,theyhavebecomeheirstoaHuidietarysystemwithawidevariety,exquisitetechniques,andspecialflavor.
ThemostpopularfoodinNingxiaismutton.Localseatmuttonalmosteveryday.ThereisafamoussheepintheareacalledTanSheep.ItisavarietythathasbeenimprovedbyinterbreedingwithMongoliansheep.Itisoneofthefamouslocalspecialties.Eachsheepcanalsooffer3to5kilogramsoftenderanddeliciousmeat,whichareverypopularamongconsumers.
TheHuipeopleareveryhospitable.Themenathomeusuallyreceiveguests,whilethewomenboilwaterandcooktea.Theguestsareseatedfromtheeldesttotheyoungest.ThehostwillservetheguestsacupofwarmBabaocoveredtea,youxiang(saltfriedcake)andsanzi(frieddoughtwist),andguestschatwhileeatinganddrinking.
InNingxia,youxiangandsanziaredailysnacksforeveryhousehold.TheyareseenatanyplacewhereHuipeoplereside.Everyfestivalandholiday,peoplecelebratewiththedishes.Thepreparationrequireskneadingdough,addingeggs,honey,brownsugar,andotheringredients.Next,thedoughisrolledintoathinroundcake,whichtastesincrediblygoodwhenfriedandcrispy.Wheneating,itshouldbebrokenapartbyhands.Peopleusedtosharetheirfoodwithfriendsandneighborstostrengthenrelationships.
BabaoCoveredTeaisaninterestingtealovedbyHuipeopleinNingxia.Theteaitemsincludeatray,abowl,andacover.Theteaismadefromeightkindsofingredientsincludingrocksugar,reddates,walnuts,raisins,wolfberryandlongan,andsuperiortea.Itisnotonlysweetanddelicious,butalsohasrestorativeeffects.Especiallyafterconsumingmutton,theteacanfreshenthebreathandhelpwithdigestion.
(CompliedbyChinaToday)
Localcuisinebeingpreparedconsistingofstewedmuttoninalargeironpotwithadiameterof1.5meters.
HelanMountainRockPaintings
Yinchuanhasalargenumberofrockpaintingsdepictingtheactivitiesandthoughtsoftheancientinhabitants,themostrepresentativeofwhicharetheHelanMountainrockpaintings.Theyareuniqueinstyle,withanimals,figures,weapons,plants,tools,buildings,andvariousabstractsymbols,recordingdetailsandeventsofthelivesoftheoriginalclantribes,suchasgrazing,hunting,sacrificialceremonies,andfightingonthevastlandoftheNingxiaPlain.TheartisticstyleissimilartothatofChineseNeolithicpotteryandprimitivesculpture.Itrevealstheanimism,fetishism,andtotemworshipoftheprimitiveclans.Itexploresthecomplexandoftenritualisticrelationshipofhumanswitheachotherandnature,anditsimpactontheirlives.
Traffic:ShuttlebusfromXinyueSquaretothescenicspoteverymorning.
Shahu(SandLake)
About56kilometersnorthtoYinchuan,Shahuisaplacewherewatermeetsthedesert.Astunningcontrastbetweenthegoldensandandtheclearlakesculptsthelandscape.Takinginthebreathtakingviewwhiletravelingontheferryacrossthelake,itiseasytoforgetthatthewesternpartofChinaisknownforitsdrought.Anoddserenitypermeatesthelandscape,whichsimultaneouslyburstswithlifeduetothevarietyofaquaticlifefoundinthelakeandthebleakdesolationthatsurroundsit.DuetotheinfluxofgroundwateroftheYellowRiver,itremainsfilledwithwateryearround,providingamuchneededrespiteforthesurroundingaridregions.AsthelakeoriginatesfromstreamsfromtheupperreachesoftheYellowriver,thewaterispristineandunpolluted,makingforfinefishandshrimptoflourish.
Traffic:TouristLinefromBeimenTouristBusStationonQingheNorthStreet,YinchuanCity.
WesternXiaMuseum
LocatedintheWesternXiaImperialTombsextent,themuseumdisplaysthehistoryoftheriseandfalloftheWesternXiaregime.Themuseumismodernandexotic,occupyinganareaof5,300squaremeters.Ithasnineexhibitionhallswhichexhibithistoricalandculturalrelics.Inadditiontotheworld-famousWesternXiamonument,thereisalsoaquaintMuyuanTower,anationaltreasureclassrelicthatreflectsthesuperbarchitecturaldesignatthattime.Besides,copperpots,goldbowlsandchainsalsoboasttypicalethniccharacteristics.
Traffic:ShuttlebusfromBeimenTouristBusStationatYinchuantothelocation.
ZhenbeibaoStudios
LocatedinZhenbeibaoTown,XixiaDistrict,Yinchuan,itisoneofthethreemajorstudiosinChina.Thestudiosprovidesettingsthatisprimitive,wildanddesolate,allowingstorytellerstobringtheirdazzlingtalestolife.Therearemorethan200importantscenesofvariousfilmsandTVshows,whichhavedevelopedintoaminiatureancientsmalltownsinnorthernChina.TheyhaveconcentratedalargenumberoftraditionalChinesematerialculturesandintangibleculturalheritage,recreatingthelifestyle,production,andentertainmentofancientChinese.ThefounderofthestudiosisZhangXianliang,afamousChinesewriter,whosenovelwasputintothefilmHerdsmenwhichwasfilmedhere.Inaddition,anumberofoutstandingfilmsandTVshowswereproducedhere,suchasRedSorghum,ABalladoftheYellowRiver,AChineseOdyssey,andTheNewDragonGateInn.Traffic:TouristlinefromXinyueSquareatYinchuanCitytoZhenbeibaoStudios.
EthnicHui鈥檚CulturalParkItislocatedinNajiahuVillage,awellknownvillagewithalonghistoryandculture.TheparkandtheancientNajiahuGrandMosquestandtogether.Inthepark,onecouldseetheIslamicarchitecture,Hui鈥檚traditionsonreligion,etiquette,agriculture,commerceandcuisine.Thereisamuseuminthepark,whichallowsvisitorstolearnthehistoryofancientHuipeopleandtheprofundityoftheHuiculture.Theparkisheightenedbyagoldenceremonialhall,whichisamulti-functionalarthall.Visitorsareadvisedtorespectthesanctityofthereligioussites:Theyarerequiredtotakeofftheirshoesandcovertheirheadsproperlyforwomen.Loudnoise,lyingonthegound,andgesturesfromnon-Islamicreligionsareprohibited.
Traffic:Bus302