银川市

Why this place

Yinchuan is the capital of Ningxia, and it is a genuine oasis: the Yellow River is channelled across the desert plain, producing rice, fish and vineyards where there would otherwise be sand. It was the capital of the Western Xia, a Tangut empire that left enormous tomb mounds in the desert and its own script.

What to see

• The Western Xia tombs — the 'pyramids of the east', imperial mounds in the desert with a museum
• The Ningxia Museum, with the Western Xia script and Tangut material
• Shapotou and the Yellow River desert scenery, two hours away
• The Zhenbeibao film studios, where much of China's western cinema was shot
• The Nanguan Mosque and the Hui food streets, since Ningxia is a Hui autonomous region

What to eat

• Hand-grabbed mutton — Ningxia lamb (tan sheep) is regarded as the finest in China
• Hui cuisine: beef noodles, lamb and the 'wanwan' dishes
• Ningxia wine — the Yellow River gravel plain produces much of China's best wine

How to plan

Two days: the Western Xia tombs and museum one day, Shapotou or the Helan Mountains the other.

Best time

May–October; the grape harvest and best weather are September–October