Ningxia Desert Trip · Aug 20

Thu · Aug 20

Hangzhou / Shenzhen → Yinchuan

Flights, museum, sunset and an escape room

Trip notes

Aug 20, 11:10 On-time arrivals in sunshine

Both flights arrived on time. GJ8963 departed Hangzhou at 06:46 and arrived at 09:29; ZH9231 departed Shenzhen at 07:46 and arrived at 10:54. We arrived to sunshine and clear skies: the preserved Open-Meteo hourly snapshot was about 25°C / 77°F at 09:00 and 29°C / 83°F at 11:00.

Aug 20, 20:55 A change of plan for the evening

We moved the Huaiyuan Night Market visit to tomorrow night and booked Chuangmengzhe Immersive Theatre for 21:10 tonight.

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06:35–09:30

Outbound · Hangzhou to Ningxia

Loong Air GJ8963

Checking live status…

Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport Terminal 3 — **HGH** Sohu

Yinchuan Hedong International Airport terminal — **INC** Skytrax

HGH Scheduled 06:35 Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport Terminal T3

INC Scheduled 09:30 Yinchuan Hedong International Airport

Checking live status…

07:50–11:10

Outbound · Shenzhen to Ningxia

Shenzhen Airlines ZH9231

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Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport Terminal 3 — **SZX** Christian Finotti

SZX Scheduled 07:50 Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport Terminal T3

INC Scheduled 11:10 Yinchuan Hedong International Airport

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11:30 pickup

Pick Up Rental Car

Konggang Avenue, Lingwu, Yinchuan, Ningxia

Rental booking Pick up

Buick GL8 Land Business Class Plate 宁A657GH

Provider: Yuanchen Car Rental
Order: 1128150090363112
Rental period: 4 days 6 hours

Pick upAug 20, 11:30 AMT3 arrivals car-rental branch · Yinchuan Hedong International Airport

ReturnAug 24, 05:30 PMT3 arrivals car-rental branch · Yinchuan Hedong International Airport

Unlimited mileage · Vehicle age within 3 years · Fits four 24-inch suitcases · Reversing camera and parking sensors

Bring to pickupBring the main driver’s national ID and original or electronic driver’s license. Inspect the car and sign the rental contract at pickup. Observe the booking’s permitted-driving-area restrictions.

Trip notes

Aug 20, 11:40 Smooth pickup

The rental-car pickup went smoothly.

Our white Buick GL8 rental car in Yinchuan — Our rental car for the trip

Open destination

By 13:45

JW Marriott Hotel Yinchuan

No. 166 Beijing Middle Road, Jinfeng District, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750000

From Yinchuan Hedong International Airport 30 km · 40 min drive

Check in, settle down and have lunch.

Hotel reservation

King room46 m² Confirmation85370843
King room46 m² Confirmation85298288
King room46 m² Confirmation87036354

Trip notes

Aug 20, 13:35 Lunch at Tedidao Local Dish

We stopped at the Taoran Shui’an branch for local Ningxia dishes before checking into the hotel.

Open kitchen and displays inside Tedidao Local Dish — The restaurant at lunch

Ningxia dishes, steamed buns and fruit on the lunch table — Our first Ningxia lunch

Tedidao Local Dish (Taoran Shui’an Branch)1F, No. 3 commercial unit, Building 3, Taoran Shui’an, Jinfeng District, Yinchuan, Ningxia

Open destination

Aug 20, 13:35 Before hotel check-in

We had not checked into the JW Marriott yet; the luggage was left in the rental car.

Aug 20, 20:29 Checked in and settled in

After the museum, we checked into the JW Marriott. We went swimming and worked out; everything went smoothly.

JW Marriott Hotel Yinchuan tower illuminated at night — The JW Marriott tower at night

Family walking beneath the illuminated entrance canopy at JW Marriott Hotel Yinchuan — Returning through the hotel entrance

Illuminated I love JW sign and fountain at night — “I love JW” after dark

The family swimming in the indoor pool at JW Marriott Hotel Yinchuan — An evening swim after check-in

Open destination

14:00–17:00

Ningxia Museum

No. 6 People’s Square East Street, Jinfeng District, Yinchuan, Ningxia

Private guide booked

Ningxia Museum expert tour

AppointmentAug 20 · 14:00

3-hour guided tour

Group: Private group for 1–5 people
Seller: Boshitongjie Cultural Travel
Order: P802596163926001331

Ningxia Museum exterior — Wikimedia Commons · CC0

Tang dynasty Hu-whirl dance stone tomb doors at Ningxia Museum — Ningxia Culture & Tourism

Gilded bronze ox in the Ningxia Museum gallery — Ningxia Culture & Tourism

From JW Marriott Hotel Yinchuan 700 m · 11 min walk

3 hr guided visit

See & do 0/5 complete

“Ningxia Through the Ages” gallery
Gilded bronze ox The museum’s signature national treasure
Tang dynasty Hu-whirl dance stone doors
Stone warrior epitaph base
“History Carved in Stone” rock-art gallery

Trip notes

Aug 20, 17:00 A great visit with our guide

The guided visit was excellent and everything went smoothly. We saw the gilded bronze ox, an inscribed rubbing, Buddhist sculpture and the rock-art exhibition.

Front view of the gilded bronze ox at Ningxia Museum — The gilded bronze ox, face-on

Side view of the gilded bronze ox at Ningxia Museum — The gilded bronze ox in profile

An inscribed rubbing displayed at Ningxia Museum — An inscribed rubbing in the collection

A Buddha head sculpture displayed at Ningxia Museum — Buddhist sculpture in the collection

Family at the rock-art display in Ningxia Museum — At the rock-art exhibition

Open destination

17:20–18:50

Lanshan Park

300 m west of Qinshui Street & Shenyang Road, Jinfeng District, Yinchuan, Ningxia

Lanshan Park amphitheater overlooking Yuehai Lake — Yinchuan Forestry & Parks Administration

Lanshan Park’s golden arches filled with sunset watchers — Yinchuan Forestry & Parks Administration

From Ningxia Museum 12 km · 20 min drive

1½ hr · sunset

See & do 0/4 complete

Climb the 208 steps
Roman-style amphitheater and arches
Yuehai Lake panorama
Sunset over the Helan Mountains

Trip notes

Aug 20, 18:50 A fun evening at Lanshan Park

We had a fun visit among the amphitheater arches and steps, enjoyed the evening view, and got an enormous balloon.

A family selfie on the amphitheater steps at Lanshan Park — Together at the amphitheater

A visitor standing on the broad amphitheater steps at Lanshan Park — The amphitheater steps and arches

A child playing with a huge yellow balloon on the field at Lanshan Park — The enormous balloon

Two visitors together beside the golden arches at Lanshan Park — Together by the arches

Evening panorama across Lanshan Park amphitheater toward the lake and mountains — The evening view from the steps

Open destination

21:10 start

Chuangmengzhe Immersive Theatre

1F, Building 16 Business Building, Mingcui Spring in Garden, Yinchuan, Ningxia

End time to follow

Booked at ¥93 per person; chosen room theme to follow.

Trip notes

Aug 20, 21:10 Ready for the escape room

We arrived for the 21:10 session at Chuangmengzhe Immersive Theatre. The room theme and how the evening went will be added afterward.

Illuminated wall showing the escape-room themes at Chuangmengzhe — Choosing among the room themes

The group gathered in the escape-room lobby — The group in the lobby

Night exterior of the immersive escape-room building on Shanghai West Road — The venue at night

Open destination

Daily reminders

Allow time for the early airport transfers in Hangzhou and Shenzhen.
The Ningxia Museum private guide starts at 14:00; finish check-in and lunch before walking over.