Today we are leaving very early in the morning as we are heading south to Guyuan. We are passing the Yellow River flowing through the brown-reddish landscape. The air is full of sand today, making it hard to keep the eyes open. Our first stop is Tongxin, a small city almost completely consisting of Hui people. Like most of the other cities we are passing on our way, this one as well is dominated by a large mosque. The women wear the blue kind of hat/scarf and a mouth cover, making it difficult to recognize anything of their faces. The mostly bearded men wear a white skull-cap plus one of those large, old-fashioned sunglasses which I know from the Panjiayuan antique market in Beijing. They make their way through the city on their bikes. Here and there are remains of the ancient city, including the city wall. Most of the people are curious and they stare at us when we walk past them. Not many foreign tourists make their way to this city in the south of Ningxia.


The new museum at Xumishan Grottoes


View from the top of Xumi Mountain


Buddhas from the Northern dynasties period


Large Buddha guarding Xumi Mountain


Muslim Mausoleum close to Guyuan


Countryside of Guyuan County