Helan Mountains (Chinese name: 贺兰山), located in the middle part between the Yinchuan Plain and the Inner Mongolia Prairie, run north-south parallel to the north-flowing Yellow River. Towards their east, there is an irrigated area with the towns of Yinchuan, while towards their west, there is severe desert. It is over 6,561 feet above sea level with a peak 11,666 feet.
The main concentration of carvings in the Helan Shan - the Helan Mountains - is found at Helankou, the dramatic gorge cutting north-west through the mountain chain, and this constitutes the Helankou Rock Engravings Park. The Helan Shan has acted as a boundary between the nomadic pastoralists to the north and the sedentary farmers to the south. As such, it has been a meeting place between the two lifestyles, and celebrated by the practice of engraving art in the rocks.
Over 6,000 engravings have been documented at Helankou. The engravings have clearly been produced over a considerable period of time, somewhere between 3,000 and 10,000 years ago.
The engravings depict human figures, animals and symbols. The human figures portray scenes of hunting, herding, sacrificing, battle, dance and procreation. The animal engravings depict tigers, leopards, sika deer, sheep, cattle, horses and camels. The symbols mainly consist of mask like faces , the most conspicuous of which is the Sun God engraving.
The meaning of the engravings, as elsewhere in the world, remains speculative. Many researchers attach shamanic significance to the carvings, whilst others suggest less ëspiritualí meaning.
The rock carvings in one pass or valley in the east slope of Helan Mountain is selected and built into a rock art park known as “Rock Art of Helan Mountain “贺兰山岩画” open to the public, one of the most magnificent sights in Ningxia. The Rock Art Park is located about 56 km to the northwest of Yinchun city proper.
Tel:0951-6010049
Attractions in the area
General Information
Alias: Helanshan Rock Carving
Loc: 56 km from Yinchuan
Entrance: 70 RMB
Open Time: 08:00~16:00
Map
Relevant blogs
-
The inaugural flight ceremony of Chengdu Airlines' "Tu
At 17:00 on May 25, a plane loaded with characteristic elements of Turpan in Xinjiang Province landed smoothly at Jiaohe Airport, marking the first flight of C
-
The 2024 Jiayuguan Great Wall Marathon and Great Wall Le
The reporter learned from the press conference held by the Gansu Provincial Government Information Office on May 10 that the 2024 Jiayuguan Great Wall Marathon
-
The "Poetic Dream Dunhuang" presents a magnificent per
"On the evening of May 6, 2024, a large-scale water dance light show titled 'Poetic Dream Dunhuang' was presented at the Danghe River in Dunhuang City, capti
-
Lanzhou cultural tourism new highlights "the Yellow Riv
As night falls, the mountains, towers, Bridges and buildings on the Yellow River in Lanzhou, Gansu Province gradually light up with neon lights, reflecting on
-
Hong Kong-Dunhuang route officially resumed: one round t
A flight carrying 159 passengers from Hong Kong International Airport to Dunhuang Mogao International Airport officially resumed on the afternoon of 22, markin
-
Dunhuang Singing Sand dunes and Crescent Lake scenic spo
On April 20, Dunhuang Singing Sand dunes and Crescent Lake Scenic spot announced that the scenic spot plans to trial ticket reservation system from April 25, 20
Tags
Silk Road China Tours -
Reliable travel agency based in Dunhuang, China. We focus on providing customized tours across Silk Road in China,on your own terms and with reasonable prices.
Contact Us
Gansu, China
Phone: 0086 - 18919428669 (24h)
Tel: 0086 - 937 - 8809499 (24h)
Email: Service@silkroadtourcn.com
2005 © All Rights Reserved. Privacy & Security | Terms & Conditions