Yinchuan Railway Station

Station name and what to look for

Match the Chinese characters on your ticket to the characters above. English translations of Chinese station names vary between booking sites, but the Chinese name is the same everywhere.

About the station

Yinchuan is the capital of Ningxia and the base for the Western Xia tombs and the Helan Mountains rock art. The station serves both conventional and high-speed services on the lines linking Ningxia to Baotou, Lanzhou and Xi’an.

The city has a substantial Hui Muslim population, and the Nanguan Mosque and the night food streets around it are a real part of the experience rather than a tourist add-on.

Yinchuan station is well organised and reasonably bilingual, but it is not a huge hub, so allow normal rather than generous time.

Getting to and from Yinchuan

The station is a short distance north of the city centre, reachable by bus or taxi. Yinchuan Helanshan airport is further out and connected by road.

For the Western Xia tombs, roughly 30 km west of the city, arrange a car. For the Helan Mountains rock art, the same.

What catches travellers out here

• The Western Xia tombs and the rock art are in different directions from the city. They are not a combined walking itinerary.
• Ningxia is dry and the temperature swing between day and night is large, even in summer.

Other station guides in Ningxia

Before you travel

Tickets are issued against your passport and there is no paper ticket to collect for most domestic services. Read the booking guide if this is your first Chinese train, or the seat class guide if you are choosing between a hard sleeper and a soft sleeper. For the station itself, the general station guide explains how gates and boarding work at any Chinese station.