This trip can be called a natural and cultural tour. We can feel the beautiful scenery beyond the Great Wall under the irrigation of our great mother river, the Yellow River, learn about the paleolithic cultural sites, the cultural imprint left by primitive clans and tribes, and understand the prosperity and glory of Xixia Dynasty. The first thing every place needs to know is the geography of this area, and this trip to Ningxia is no exception. Ningxia is located in the northwest inland of China, bordering Inner Mongolia in the west and north, and Gansu in the south. The Yellow River enters from Zhongwei, obliquely crosses the plain to the northeast, and exits through Shizuishan along the terrain. The plain has deep soil layer, flat terrain, convenient water diversion, convenient gravity irrigation and developed irrigation agriculture. Ningxia, which is arid in the northwest, also raises people because of the Yellow River. From the Paleolithic civilization to the progress of clan society, and then to the rise and fall of Xixia Dynasty, the ancient Silk Road, the tea-horse trade, and the nine crossings of the Yellow River are all civilizations bred by the Yellow River, adding to the continuity and glory of the Yellow River culture.
Visiting the rock paintings of Helan Mountain, Shuidonggou site and Xixia Mausoleum site is a cultural feast brought by this trip. The most famous rock paintings of Helan Mountain are pictures carved on the rock wall by the ancients. These pictures record the hunting, sacrifice, fighting and entertainment scenes of ancient humans from 3000 years ago to 10000 years ago, and reveal the cultures of primitive clan tribes such as nature worship, reproductive worship, totem worship and ancestor worship. For me, whose artistic cells are not very developed, I don't have any research on rock paintings. I mostly sigh that the irrigation place in Ningxia Yellow River Plain is the place where Chinese civilization began, and I can't help but sigh the greatness of the Yellow River mother. The unique Ya Dan landform of Shuidonggou has created 20 peculiar landscapes, such as ghost towns, cyclone caves and skyscraper cliffs. Shuidonggou is the earliest paleolithic cultural site excavated in China, also known as the birthplace of prehistoric archaeology in China. Shuidonggou site recorded endless human activities 30,000 years ago.
When we arrived at Shuidonggou, the vehicle we took was a primitive donkey cart. Our party got on a scooter, and the driver led the donkey. The bell around the donkey's neck jingled with us all the way to visit the primitive places where ancient humans once lived. Although the terrain is high on both sides and low in the middle, a ditch is formed, and the stream on the ground gurgles. I think this is the name of Shuidonggou. Come on! There is also a hidden soldier cave in Shuidonggou. A cave was dug on a high hillside, and there are many forks in the cave. According to the speculation of cultural relics and archaeologists in Ningxia, the Tibetan soldier cave is a part of the military defense system of the Great Wall in Ming Dynasty, and it is the most intact three-dimensional military defense site of the Great Wall found in China at present. Xixia Mausoleum is called the Oriental Pyramid. Xixia Mausoleum is famous for its grand scale and rigorous layout. Seeing this tomb seems to see the long-term integration of many nationalities and the prosperity of politics, economy and culture in the heyday of Xixia Dynasty. Ningxia, located on the ancient Silk Road, was once an important channel for transportation and trade between the East and the West. As a region where the Yellow River flows, it also has an ancient and long-standing Yellow River civilization.
When you come to Ningxia in the south of the Yangtze River beyond the Great Wall, you can not only feel the picturesque softness of the south of the Yangtze River, but also appreciate the roughness of the rolling Yellow River falling from the sky. Hu Sha Eco-tourism Zone in Ningxia, as its name implies, has become a unique scenery with its semi-sand and semi-lake. Walking by the lake, the shade is cool. Salix on the shore of the lake is tall and handsome, shielding the pavilion for tourists. There is a desert around the lake. When I first saw this spectacular picture, I was curious why the desert didn't cover the lake. No matter how many tourists there are, people who play with sand will take it off, and the wind will take it off the next day. Nature is also a wonderful thing. The harmonious coexistence of water and sand has formed a unique landscape, such as Husha Lake, which is amazing. The total area of Husha Lake is at least 200 square kilometers to 300 square kilometers, so cruising in Husha Lake is like cruising in Jiangnan. Boating on the lake to see fish swimming in the water, watching birds playing in the blue sky, watching fishing boats looming among reeds, surrounded by yellow sand, there is such a big lake, which also adds to the mystery of Husha Lake. Step on the soft sand, let the sand bury the whole foot and let it be completely released. Climb to the top of the sand dune and look towards the lake. Green eyes came into view. The oasis in the desert beyond the Great Wall is well-deserved, a world of fish, a paradise for birds and a paradise for tourists. It is more pleasant to visit the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan by boat than Jiangnan.
Shapotou Scenic Spot in Ningxia Zhongwei is also the scenic spot where the Yellow River flows into Sichuan, with nine bends and ninety-nine bends. The Yellow River has become a big S Bay here, which has opened a monument to agricultural civilization. For hundreds of years, boatmen along the Yellow River have propped up sheepskin rafts to cross the Yellow River and created their own happy life with their hardworking and intelligent hands. In ancient times, this beach and mountains and rivers were the world-famous Jiudu of the Yellow River, the ancient Silk Road, the Yellow River Waterway and the ancient salt transportation road. The manufacturing technology of sheepskin raft, which has been circulated for hundreds of years, has been used by people to this day. It is said that the sheepskin raft is composed of 14 whole sheepskin blown into the air and a bamboo raft. Sheepskin is strong and light, so it can float easily after being put into the air without worrying about sinking. It is also the most unforgettable experience of this trip to experience the thrilling drifting of the Yellow River on a sheepskin raft. The first time I crossed the rushing Yellow River on a sheepskin raft without a fence, I was always a little scared. The ferryman controls the raft, allowing tourists to get on the raft one by one and sit cross-legged back to back. The ferryman boarded the raft with vigorous and skillful posture. He shouted, "Go!" With the unique tone of the northwest man, he galloped away on the Yellow River raft.
Ningxia, located on the ancient Silk Road, was once an important channel for transportation and trade between the East and the West. As a region where the Yellow River flows, it also has an ancient Yellow River civilization. Look at this oasis in the desert, which is the result of sand control by generations of sons and daughters of the Yellow River. Protect the Yellow River, protect the ecological environment along the Yellow River, and let people live in harmony with nature. We are civilized and progressive because of the Yellow River, and the Yellow River is even more dazzling because of our governance.