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
-
Direct flights from Lanzhou to Hong Kong will begin in m
The reporter learned from the Gansu Provincial Department of Transportation that the direct flight route from Lanzhou to Hong Kong is expected to be officially
-
Zhangyichao - The forgotten hero
Gansu); Shan (鄯州, in modern Haidong Prefecture, Qinghai); He (河州, in modern Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu); Min (岷州, in modern Dingxi, Gansu); a
-
Old Photo: The Story of an American Woman and Dunhuang
In the summer of 1948, American Irene Vincent, who was already the mother of two children, made a decision. She wanted to leave Beijing’s residence tempor
-
Tourist charter flights from Dunhuang to Seoul of South
At 14:00 on January 12, China Southern Airlines flight CZ8011 landed smoothly at Dunhuang Mogao International Airport, marking the official opening of the inter
-
2023 Dunhuang International Fashion Week opening show wa
On October 15, the opening show of 2023 Dunhuang International Fashion Week was staged at the Yumenguan Site scenic area of Dunhuang. Wang Haiming, Chairman of
-
Old photos of Xiahe city in Gansu in 1930s
The market near Labrang Monastery in Xiahe County. Xiahe County is located in the northwest of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and is named after the Daxi
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