Yinchuan is the capital of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China,and former capital of the Western Xia Empire of the Tanguts . It has an area of 4,467 km (2,776 mi) and a total population of 1.99 million. Its built up area is home to 1,290,170 inhabitants spread on 3 urban districts. The name of the city literally means "silver river" Thanks to the Yellow River, Yinchuan enjoys beautiful natural sceneries and favorable conditions for agriculture and has long earned the fame of a "River Side City in the Northwest" and "Home to Fishes and Rice". Yinchuan is now the permanent site for China-Arab Expo which is an international platform for cultural and economic exchanges between China and Arab countries. In 2010, Yinchuan is officially assignment as the site for China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. It provides great opportunities for Yinchuan to develop as the business center for China and Arab States. In the national level, Yinchuan has been holding various events such as China-Arab States Expo, to function as a business bridge between China and Arab States.
Yinchuan originally was a xian(county) under the name of Fuping in the 1st century BC; its name was changed toHuaiyuan in the 6th century AD. After the fall of the Tang dynasty in 907, it was occupied by the TangutXi-Xia dynasty of which it was the capital.Traditionally, Yinchuan was an administrative and commercial center. In the 1950s it had many commercial enterprises, and there were some handicrafts but no modern industry. The city has since grown considerably. Extensive coal deposits discovered on the eastern bank of the Yellow River, near Shizuishan, 100 km (62 mi) to the north, have made Shizuishan a coal-mining center.
Yinchuan has distinct seasons, with dry, cold winters, late springs and short summers. Diurnal temperature variation tends to be large due to the aridity, which also partly contributes to the sunny climate; with monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 63 percent in three months to 71 percent in November, the city receives 2,906 hours of bright sunshine annually. There are 158 frost-free days.
A brilliant culture has contributed to Yinchuan being a famous tourist city. There are over 60 historical sites including mosques, pagodas, pavilions, temples, and imperial tombs as well as natural scenery such as Helan Mountain, Sand Lake Scenic Resort (Sha Hu) and Shapotou, etc.
A transportation system of highway, railway and airlines in Yinchuan provides speed and convenience. There are several national highways leading to all parts of the country and more than 125 kilometers (about 78 miles) of expressways within the boundaries of the city. Baolan Railway (Baotou in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to Lanzhou in Gansu Province) and Zhongbao Railway (Zhongwei in Yinchuan Province to Baoji in Shaanxi Province) connect with all railway lines to every destination. In addition, flights from Yinchuan Hedong Airport take you to all the major cities of China.
Here you can taste the local dishes or snacks of rich Islamic flavor, such as Yangrou Paomo and Shouzhua Yangrou. Hotels of different grades are available to visitors, providing you warm and comfortable places to relax yourself.
Population: 1.99 million
Temperature: average 9 °C (48.2°F)
