Yinchuan has been tough, now back, speaking some harsh truths

🌿✨【Yinchuan: The Hidden Gem of Northern China! Check in at Rock Art, Canyons, and Wetlands】✨🌿

📍Location: Northern Ningxia, the Yellow River flows through the city! Home to millennia-old rock art (Helan Mountain Rock Art), secret canyons (Shuidonggou), and wetland parks (Mingcui Lake). Summer average temperature is 25°C, but with big day-night temperature differences, bring a light jacket for the evening!

🚗【Super Detailed 3 Days 2 Nights Itinerary】(Includes both active and relaxed versions)
Day 1: Helan Mountain Rock Art Ancient Sites + Suyukou Mountain Climb
🌞8:00 AM: Head to Helan Mountain Rock Art! See the mysterious "Sun God" rock painting, and wild ibex running on the mountain (ticket 60 RMB). Wear comfortable shoes, lots of hiking involved.

🍜12:30 PM: Have hand-pulled lamb nearby, freshly cooked lamb dipped in salt, tender and not gamey, paired with eight-treasure tea to cut the grease and warm your stomach. Don’t eat too much, you’ll still be hiking in the afternoon!

🌙7:00 PM: Watch the sunset at Suyukou! The sun setting over Helan Mountain is spectacular (ticket 40 RMB). It’s windy at night, wear a thick jacket to avoid the cold.

Day 2: Explore Shuidonggou + Visit Binggou Ancient Sites
🌞8:30 AM: Explore Shuidonggou ruins! Walking through the "Hidden Soldier Cave" is thrilling, with many traps like an escape room (ticket 60 RMB + transport package 140 RMB). Follow the guide closely, don’t get lost!

🍜12:00 PM: Eat lamb offal stew inside the scenic area, lamb liver and tripe are super fresh, add chili oil. A bowl in the morning is warm and comforting, a bit salty, best eaten with steamed buns.

🌙3:30 PM: Visit Binggou Canyon! The Yellow River canyon is breathtaking, with many ancient Great Wall ruins (free entry). Stay away from the riverbank, it’s windy and dangerous!

Day 3: Enjoy Views at Gunzhongkou + Stroll Mingcui Lake Wetlands
🌞9:00 AM: See "Zhongling Mountain" at Gunzhongkou! The mountain looks like a bell, very magical (ticket 20 RMB). There are many temples on the mountain, great for photos and check-ins.

🍜12:30 PM: Nearby, try Artemisia noodles, the noodles are chewy and the broth fresh, paired with cold bitter vegetable salad, refreshing and cuts the grease.

🌙Afternoon return trip: If tired, skip this; hardcore travelers can continue to Baishi Temple (see the twin towers, very spectacular)!

🌟【Must-Visit Checklist】
1️⃣ Helan Mountain Rock Art: Millennia-old site, see the mysterious "Sun God" rock painting (open 8:00-18:00).
2️⃣ Shuidonggou: Prehistoric site, the Hidden Soldier Cave is super thrilling (open 8:00-18:00).

🏨【Stay Here! Yinchuan’s Top Hotel】
Kempinski Hotel Yinchuan: Located downtown, 10-minute walk to Drum Tower, spacious rooms, breakfast includes freshly cooked lamb offal and hand-pulled lamb, very thoughtful!

🚌【Transportation Tips】
Fly into Yinchuan Hedong International Airport, taxi to downtown costs 50 RMB; to Helan Mountain Rock Art take the tourist shuttle (departs from Yinchuan Crescent Plaza, 15 RMB/person). For Shuidonggou, join a day tour (includes tickets + transport about 200 RMB). Avoid unlicensed taxis, they tend to overcharge!

😄Good Experiences: Walking through the Hidden Soldier Cave at Shuidonggou, seeing millennia-old traps felt like traveling back to an ancient battlefield, super thrilling; watching ibex run on Helan Mountain was adorable, a close encounter with nature!

😭Challenges: Must buy the Shuidonggou transport package or you’ll walk to death, the scenic area is huge; lots of mosquitoes on Gunzhongkou mountain, bring mosquito repellent or you’ll get bitten badly!

🍜【5 Must-Try Foods】
1️⃣ Hand-pulled lamb: Freshly cooked, tender and not gamey, best dipped in salt, paired with eight-treasure tea to cut the grease, a must-eat!
2️⃣ Lamb offal stew: Lamb liver and tripe super fresh, add chili oil, a warm and comforting bowl in the morning, perfect with steamed buns.
3️⃣ Artemisia noodles: Chewy noodles, fresh broth with the aroma of artemisia, very distinctive, worth trying.
4️⃣ Eight-treasure tea: Red dates, goji berries, longan, tea leaves, sweet but not greasy, cuts the grease and warms the stomach, very comforting.
5️⃣ Spicy stir-fried lamb: Tender lamb, spicy and satisfying, great with rice, meat lovers rejoice.

💡【Tips】
✅Big day-night temperature difference in Yinchuan, wear short sleeves during the day and a light jacket at night to avoid catching a cold; strong UV on Helan Mountain, apply sunscreen and wear a hat!
✅The Hidden Soldier Cave in Shuidonggou is a bit dark, bring a flashlight; there are guides at Helan Mountain Rock Art, pay for a tour to understand the rock art!
✅Don’t eat lamb near the scenic spots, go to "Guoqiang Hand-Pulled Lamb," a chain brand with authentic taste, no overcharging!

💰【Expense Summary】
Tickets about 320 RMB (Helan Mountain Rock Art + Suyukou + Shuidonggou combo + Gunzhongkou), accommodation 500 RMB/night (Kempinski), meals 200 RMB/day, transport 200 RMB, total about 1420 RMB for a great trip!

🎉【Final Little Excitement】
In Yinchuan, see rock art and explore canyons by day, eat hand-pulled lamb and drink eight-treasure tea by night, the 25°C evening breeze wrapped in the aroma of lamb — this is what summer should be like! Pack your bags now, miss it and wait till next year! 🌈💦🍃