Western Xia Mausoleum 西夏王陵

The Western Xia Mausoleum is located on the eastern slope of the Helan Mountain, 30 kilometers west of Yinchuan City. Covering an area of 53 square kilometers, the mausoleum is one of the largest and best preserved imperial mausoleums in China.

Dubbed the "Eastern Pyramids," the Western Xia Mausoleum includes nine imperial mausoleums and 250 tombs of imperial relatives and officials.

Each main tomb has four corner towers and an array of watchtowers, pavilions housing stone tablets, a sacrificial hall and a coffin platform – most of which are now unrecognizable. Archaeologists believe that octagonal glazed-tile pagodas once stood by each tomb.

The tombs were originally created by the founder of the Western Xia Kingdom (1038-1237), Li Yuanhao, who built over 70 tombs – one for himself, some for his relatives and more to be left empty, presumably a decoy against theft.

In contrast to the wooden and stone structures of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasty imperial tombs, the Western Xia Tombs are made of earth and brick, reflecting the culture of the ancient western kingdom.

In recent years, scientific research and exploration have been conducted at the site in hopes of decoding the sudden disappearance of the Western Xia civilization.

Tips:

Admission: 60 yuan

Working Hours: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (April – October)

                           8 a.m. – 4 p.m. (January – March, November – December)

How to get there: Take buses from South Gate Bus Station or North Gate Bus Station to get there for 8 Yuan; or take bus No. 1, 2, 4, 18 at downtown Yinchuan and get off at Yinchuan Railway Station, then hire a car to get there for 35 yuan.