Yinchuan

Yinchuan is a capital city in the autonomous region of Ningxia in northwestern China, located between the Helan Mountains and the Yellow River. The city extends across the fertile Yinchuan Plain at roughly 1100 meters elevation and serves as the economic center of the region.

In the first century BCE a small county named Fuping emerged here, later gaining wider importance. In 1038 the site became the capital of the Tangut-ruled Western Xia kingdom and grew in political weight.

The name Yinchuan means "silver river" and refers to the waters that have shaped the city since ancient times. Hui neighborhoods stand out through their mosques and halal restaurants, where Arabic script appears beside Chinese characters on shopfronts.

The city connects well to the national railway network and has an airport offering links to major Chinese cities. Those planning excursions to the mountains or ruins west of the city should allow enough time for travel.

Canals dating from the Han and Tang periods still supply water to surrounding fields today and rank among the oldest working irrigation systems in China. Visitors can follow sections of these historic waterways along the plain.

Location: Ningxia

Elevation above the sea: 1,100 m

Website: http://yinchuan.gov.cn

GPS coordinates: 38.48500,106.22500

Latest update: December 13, 2025 17:14