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Photo: Yaan, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This section of the Helan mountains features rugged rock ridges with a thick forest on one side. A concrete walkway hanging onto the cliff face ascends to the nearest peak in about 5.5 km. Near the entrance to this path, a network of trails accesses a lower ridge and some valleys and canyons. The ridge is also accessible by ropeway, and features two pagodas and a suspension bridge over a canyon. The bridge costs ¥30, or ¥50 with a "5D" film, and doesn't access any other trails or viewpoints. There are several basic hotels near the base of the ropeway, and a large artificial waterfall on the rock wall opposite. Maps are readily available, but do not generally include "you are here", and use terminology that differs from the signposts.
The Helan Mountains, frequently called Alashan Mountains in older sources, are an isolated desert mountain range forming the border of Inner Mongolia's Alxa League and Ningxia. They run north–south parallel to the north-flowing Yellow River in the Ordos Loop section. The river is mostly east of the mountains, but in the north it crosses without making a significant gorge and flows on the west side. To the west lies the extremely arid Tengger Desert, while to the east is an irrigated area beside the Yellow River, in which lie the cities of Yinchuan and Shizuishan - a little further east of which lies the Mu Us portion of the Ordos Desert. To the north lies the Inner Mongolian city of Wuhai.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
贺兰山岩画
These carvings were done by Chinese nomads some 10,000 years ago. They run the gamut from portraits and totems to scenes of hunting, grazing, war and dance. Many of the trails accessing the rock art were destroyed in a flood in 2016 and have not been rebuilt as of 2018, leaving some of the most famous parts inaccessible, but there is still a lot to see. A museum displays photos of similar ancient artwork worldwide. This area is popular with wild mountain sheep (岩羊).
西夏王陵国家公园, Xīxià Wánglíng Guójiā Gōngyuán
Western Xia Tombs. There are 193 tombs of high officials of the Xia Kingdom, with the three largest (5 km apart) highlighted.
宁夏科技馆
宁夏博物馆
海宝塔, 北塔, North Pagoda
Part of the Haibao Pagoda Temple (海宝塔寺). The pagoda has a murky history but is believed to have been built in the 5th century during the reign of Emperor Wulie of Xia. It was rebuilt twice during the 18th century due to damage caused by earthquakes.
沙湖, Shāhú
A large, shallow lake that is in adjacent Shizuishan City, where it is also listed, the lake has sandy islands and tufts of grass growing out of it. Scenic but extremely overdeveloped in a few places (these places can be escaped). It takes about one hour to go there by bus, then an hour or two to see the scenery, or all day if you treat it like a picnic site or amusement park. Buses leave from the north gate tourist bus station regularly until about 10:30, and a one-way ticket costs ¥15. At Shahu it's easy to find a bus back to Yinchuan.