Yinchuan

Yinchuan sits on the western bank of the Yellow River where the water emerges from the mountains onto the flat Ningxia Plain. The river has irrigated this land for over two thousand years, creating a fertile oasis in the rain shadow of the Helan Mountains. The contrast is dramatic: green fields and vineyards suddenly replaced by barren red earth and sand.

For centuries, this was the frontier. The Western Xia Dynasty (1038-1227), a Tangut kingdom that created its own script and fiercely resisted Mongol conquest, built its imperial tombs at the foot of Helan Mountain. Today, nine massive earthen pyramids rise from the desert floor - all that remains of a vanished civilization. The site is still only partly excavated.

The Hui Muslim presence gives Yinchuan its character. Mosques with green domes punctuate the skyline, halal restaurants serve lamb in dozens of preparations, and the call to prayer sounds five times daily in the old city. Hui culture blends Chinese hospitality with Islamic traditions - the result is a cuisine and atmosphere found nowhere else in China.

Yinchuan is also China's most exciting wine region. The Helan Mountain east foothills, at the same latitude as Bordeaux, produce world-class Cabernet Sauvignon and Marselan. Over 200 wineries have emerged since 2010, many winning international awards. A day of wine touring followed by lamb dinner is the quintessential Yinchuan experience.

The city has transformed in the past decade. New highways, a modern high-speed rail station, and expansive parks demonstrate Ningxia's development ambitions. Yet the desert is never far away - sand storms occasionally sweep in from the west, reminding visitors and residents alike that this is first and foremost a frontier city carved from the wilderness.