Western Xia Mausoleums 西夏陵Xīxià Líng

Why go to Western Xia Mausoleums

The Western Xia (Xixia) Imperial Tombs are the necropolis of the Tangut dynasty, strung along the foot of the Helan Mountains and inscribed by UNESCO in 2025 as the Xixia Imperial Tombs. The site holds nine imperial mausoleums, 271 subordinate tombs and a northern architectural complex. The weathered rammed-earth mounds, up to about 23 m high, are thought to be the cores of once-tiled, tower-like structures. Most visitors combine the museum with Mausoleum 3, attributed to the dynasty's first emperor, Li Yuanhao.

The story

The Tanguts founded the Western Xia state in 1038 and ruled stretches of the Silk Road for nearly two centuries, creating their own script, until Mongol armies destroyed the kingdom in 1227. The tombs' original tiled towers and wooden halls are long gone, leaving the earth cores that stand out against the desert floor. UNESCO recognised the site in July 2025 for the fusion of traditions it records.

What to see at Western Xia Mausoleums

• Western Xia Museum 西夏陵博物馆: A museum just east of the tomb area covering Western Xia history, religion and art, and finds from the tombs. Look for the glazed roof ornaments and stone sculptures that show what the bare mounds once carried.
• Mausoleum 3 3号陵: The best-excavated and best-preserved of the mausoleums, attributed to the dynasty's founder Li Yuanhao. A walled complex of gate towers and stele pavilions leads to a big tapering earth mound, a striking sight against the Helan Mountains.
• Mausoleums 1 and 2 1号陵、2号陵: Two neighbouring tombs at the southern end, thought to hold Li Yuanhao's grandfather and father; their enclosures are the largest of the nine. They are reached by separate transport and are quieter than Mausoleum 3.
• Helan Mountains backdrop 贺兰山: The dark range behind the tombs frames every view and was part of why the site was chosen. The light changes the mounds' colour through the day.

How to visit Western Xia Mausoleums

Start at the museum for context, then head to Mausoleum 3, the main tomb for most visitors; Mausoleums 1 and 2 lie several kilometres south and need separate transport, so ask on arrival what is running. Allow 3–4 hours in all: roughly half in the museum, the rest outdoors. The walks between sights are long and open, so a shorter visit can skip the smaller tombs.

How to get to Western Xia Mausoleums

The tombs are about 30 km west of central Yinchuan at the foot of the Helan Mountains, 30–45 minutes by taxi or private car. Tourist buses may run in season; ask your hotel or the visitor centre for current departures.

Where to stay

Stay in Yinchuan, which has the hotels and restaurants and is about 40 minutes away.

What to eat

• Hand-grabbed lamb 手抓羊肉: Boiled lamb served on the bone and eaten by hand with salt or cumin, a Hui favourite across Ningxia.
• Lamb offal soup 羊杂碎: A hot, peppery morning soup of lamb offal, usually eaten with steamed bread.
• Lamb mince noodles 羊肉臊子面: Hand-pulled noodles topped with a savoury, spicy minced-lamb sauce.

Tips for visiting Western Xia Mausoleums

• Carry your passport; foreign visitors may need it to buy a ticket.
• Summer is hot and the walks between mounds have almost no shade, so bring water and sun protection; spring winds can raise dust.
• The museum is a good place to start, as it explains what the bare mounds once looked like. It reports opening every day of the year, with no weekly closure day, but check the day's notice before you go.

Nearby

Also within 30 km: Western Xia Culture Park 西夏风情园 (under 10 km), COFCO Great Wall Tianfu Winery 中粮长城天赋酒庄 (under 10 km), Changyu Longyu Chateau (Moser XV) 张裕龙谕酒庄 (10 km), Wofu Bairui Ningxia Goji Hall 沃福百瑞宁夏枸杞馆 (10 km), Zhihui Yuanshi Winery 志辉源石酒庄 (20 km), Yuquan International Winery 玉泉国际酒庄 (20 km).

On the map

Open Western Xia Mausoleums on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• UNESCO World Heritage
• Wikipedia (Chinese)