Explore Yinchuan in 1 Day: History & Cinema Magic

Shuidonggou is a Paleolithic cultural site excavated in China. It is known as "the birthplace of Chinese prehistoric archeology" and "historical witness of cultural exchanges between China and the West." It is a national key cultural relic protection unit, a national AAAAA tourist attraction, and a national geological park. It is listed by the state as one of the 100 major sites under national cultural relic protection and one of the "100 archaeological discoveries of great significance to Chinese civilization". The Shuidonggou site records the historical testimony of ancient humans' reproduction and struggle with nature, and contains rich and precious prehistoric information. It shows people a picture of the survival of ancient humans 40,000 years ago. It is the Paleolithic Age site that has been officially excavated in the Yellow River area in my country so far. In 1923, French paleontologists Teilhard de Chardin and Sang Zhihua discovered prehistoric cultural sites here. Through excavation, a large number of stone tools and animal fossils were unearthed. Therefore, Shuidonggou became the ancient human cultural site of the Paleolithic Age in my country. Now, after more than 80 years and six archaeological excavations, more than 30,000 stone tools and 67 ancient animal fossils have been unearthed in Shuidonggou. The Shuidonggou area is also home to the ancient Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty in northern my country, the "Hengcheng Dabian", beacon piers, city barriers, Tibetan caves, etc., which constitute the Grand View Garden of well-preserved military defense buildings in China. Shuidonggou is located on the southern edge of the Ordos Platform. The Yadan landform created by nature has experienced tens of millions of years of wind and sand sculptures. It is also home to 20 places such as Devil's City, Wotuo Ridge, Motian Cliff, Duanyun Valley, and Tamaliu Valley. There are many unique landscapes in the forest.

Helan Mountain Rock Painting Scenic Area is a national key cultural relic protection unit and a national 4A-level tourist attraction. It is known as the "history book in stone", "prehistoric human art gallery" and "the place where Chinese culture traces its origins".

The Yinchuan World Rock Art Museum in the scenic area displays representative rock art from more than 60 countries and regions in the world, covering the latest results and information of current rock art research. There are 6,000 prehistoric rock paintings between 3,000 and 10,000 years old in the rock art site area. They are renowned in the international rock art community for their large number, rich content, wide range of themes, and rarity in the world. Yinchuan Han Meilin Art Museum collects and exhibits more than 1,000 works inspired by and based on Helan Mountain rock paintings by Mr. Han Meilin, showing the fusion of ancient and modern.

After years of protective development, the scenic spot has become a comprehensive tourist attraction integrating exhibitions, science education, research and exchanges, artistic creation, leisure vacations and other functions.