The most remarkable archeological offering is a painting of the God of the Sun, etched into a bluff 40 meters above ground. The figure's eyes are formed by two concentric circles, and the lines that trace the god's eyelashes, hair and halo were drawn according to the principle of doublings, from 6 to 24 cm.
Visitors to the cliff paintings can rest at Mountain Cottage, a quaint eatery near the entrance. The farmhouse-style restaurant features an artificial stream spanned by a stone bridge. Local specialties include fried wild mushroom, "cold blossom of walnuts", and cold lujiaocai - an alga and mutton soup with sour radish. These are best washed down with homemade cherry and scorpion liquor, followed by a sobering dose of wild jujube tea.
Decades ago, Yinchuan was humorously conveyed using a caricaturized description: The only decent road, patrolled by a single policeman, was lined by two buildings - a postal and telecommunications compound, and a department store. The only occupants of a nearby park were two monkeys.
Today, the city has stepped up its modernization while drawing visitors with its ancient legacy.
It will soon get a new CBD area, planned to cover 282 hectares beside Yuehai Lake in central Jinfeng district. Once completed, its futuristic towers will rise from Yinchuan's historical foundations - much like the city's ever-evolving culture.
Editor: Feng Hui
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