Things to do in Otog Front Banner
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Top 10 attractions in Otog Front Banner
Dashatou Tourist Area
Dashatou Ecological and Cultural Tourism Area is located at the junction of Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi and Ningxia provinces, and is the source of the famous Maowusu Desert. Dashatou has towering peaks and sand dunes that can reach a height of 50 meters. There are also many green forests in the Attraction, and there are artificial reservoirs and grasslands nearby. In addition, the colorful natural scenery and the ancient and rich ethnic customs have created a unique desert landscape here. The tourist area is a western desert sports base camp with desert hot springs as the main body and Mongolian customs and culture as the support. Visitors can enjoy the beauty of the desert, participate in desert leisure and entertainment activities such as desert competition and desert exploration, as well as bonfire parties, equestrian performances, cultural performances and other exciting and rich cultural activities. Visitors can also play sand sliding, ride horses and camels, and play a real-life CS. If you come to the Attraction in summer, you can also participate in water sports here, such as water roller balls, water bumper cars, water bicycles and boating. There are archery, wrestling, rock climbing, desert relay races and other events every week. During the harvest season every year, visitors can also come to the picking garden in the Attraction to pick fresh fruits and vegetables. The Attraction often holds various tourism festivals from April to October every year. These activities are full of rich Mongolian customs and the rugged and free-spirited style of the western desert.Otog Front Banner · 3.9 km from downtown
Malan Prairie
Malanhua prairie is located on the edge of the famous Ordos platform, with a total grassland area of 6,700 hectares. It is 37 kilometers away from Pingluo County in the north and 43 kilometers away from Yinchuan City in the west. Every year at the end of April and the beginning of May, tens of thousands of acres of Malan orchid bloom proudly, decorating the vast Gobi with thick purple, and gently swaying the vast and boundless prairie with a wonderful halo. Watching the peculiar beauty of the Malanhua Prairie is a rare enjoyment in the world. Every autumn, the pasture is abundant, which is the season of beautiful grassland scenery. Note: Malan orchid is a strain of orchid, which is a perennial herb, not only has ornamental value, but also the stem and leaves can be used to make paper, and the roots can be used to make brushes. It can be said that the whole body is a treasure.Otog Front Banner · 73.6 km from downtown
Shapotou Scenic Area
The scenic spot is located 16 kilometers west of Zhongwei City, Ningxia, on the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert. The scenic spot has successively won honors such as "the first batch of national 5A-level tourist attractions", "the top 500 global environmental protection units", and "the first batch of national tourism standardization demonstration units". The three major cultural elements of the scenic area include the "Yellow River Culture" based on the intangible cultural heritage sheepskin rafts, the "Desert Culture" based on straw grids and Desert Legend Park, and the "Starry Sky Culture" based on the Desert Star Hotel. The tourism resources of these three elements have created a unique and magnificent landscape of "sunset over the long river and starry sky in the desert". The "six major ways to play" are highly praised and loved by tourists. Among them, the Yellow River projects include sheepskin rafting, Huangtengda, Yellow River speedboat, drift boat, passionate sandboarding and high-altitude bungee jumping, etc. The desert projects include Desert Camel, Desert Flying (Stepping into the Blue Clouds), and Sand Sea. Surfing, etc., starry sky projects include stargazing lectures, meteor feasts, sand therapy experiences, star cakes and other special products. In addition, there are also privately customized products for hiking, desert expansion, and educational and entertaining study experiences. The scenic area not only has diverse cultural elements and fun project experiences, but also multi-level accommodation experiences waiting for you: the butler-style Diamond Hotel, the quiet Desert Star Hotel for stargazing, the quiet Yellow River Courtyard in the bustling city, and finally the economical and affordable business-style Tourist Service Center Hotel and other differentiated tourist accommodations for you to choose from.China · Zhongwei
Xixia Imperial Tombs
Xixia Imperial Tombs, located in the western suburbs of YinchuanHelan MountainThe Western Xia Mausoleum served as the royal burial site of the Western Xia Dynasty, where several emperors were interred. Today, the entire mausoleum complex contains 9 imperial tombs and over 140 accompanying burial sites, making it one of the largest royal burial grounds in Chinese history by area. The tombs feature a unique inverted steamed-bun shape unlike any other Chinese mausoleums. Additionally, the attraction includes facilities such as the Western Xia Mausoleum Museum, Western Xia Mausoleum - Western Xia Historical Art Gallery, and Western Xia Stele Forest to help visitors understand the historical and cultural significance behind these tombs. The attraction currently has mausoleums No. 1, 2, and 3 open for visitors. Mausoleum No. 3 (the "Tai Mausoleum" of Li Yuanhao, founding emperor of the Western Xia Dynasty) is located relatively close to The Western Xia Mausoleum's Western Xia History Art Museum and Western Xia Stele Forest. The Western Xia Dynasty was established by the Tangut people, with distinct writing systems and customs different from the Han Chinese of the Central Plains. After the dynasty's fall, its cities and history mysteriously vanished into the Gobi Desert, becoming an enduring enigma until modern discoveries and interpretations. The Western Xia Mausoleum Museum houses a rich collection of artifacts from the dynasty, including many precious stone carvings with Tangut script and murals showcasing Western Xia artistic styles. The museum offers free guides that provide fascinating insights into the customs, culture, rise, and fall of this mysterious dynasty, enhancing visitors' experience when exploring the mausoleum. On July 11, 2025, the Western Xia Mausoleum was officially inscribed on the World Heritage List. You can visit the Haowang Mausoleum up close within the attraction. The massive inverted semicircular tomb stands on the wasteland, bringing centuries of history vividly before your eyes, while in the distance...Helan MountainThe rugged ravines of the mountain ridges evoke a profound sense of desolate grandeur and timeless vicissitude. The Western Xia Mausoleum Museum inside the attraction has been newly unveiled. The exhibits are divided into six sections: history of Western Xia, Western Xia culture, Western Xia religious art, Western Xia socio-economy, Western Xia Mausoleum, and preservation & inheritance. Nearly 5,000 artifacts are displayed, including thangka paintings, documents, clay sculptures, bronze and ironware, textiles, and porcelain. Many of these are exquisite cultural relics unearthed during recent archaeological research at the Western Xia Mausoleum.China · Yinchuan
China West Film Studio
Zhenbeibao Western Cinema is located in Xixia District, Yinchuan City. In this studio, which is characterized by simplicity, roughness and desolation, classic films such as "Wrangler", "Red Sorghum", "Journey to the West", "Thorn Mausoleum", "Jin Yiwei" and hundreds of influential film and television films were filmed. In the remaining part, a large number of celebrities from the Chinese film industry have left their footprints here, such as Gong Li, Jiang Wen, Zhang Yimou, Ge You, Zhou Xingchi, Donnie Yen and so on. The cinema consists of three parts: Mingcheng, Qingcheng and Old Yinchuan Street. Tourists can visit the cinema along the "figure 8" route of Old Yinchuan Street. Here, you can see the appearance of Yinchuan in the first half of the 20th century, and eat local traditional snacks such as mutton soup. The Ming and Qing cities in the film city were rebuilt from the military castles left over from the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the Ming and Qing cities, you can see many familiar movie scenes, such as: the gate tower where Sun Wukong and Fairy Zixia are standing in "Journey to the West", the throne of the Bull Demon King, the torture platform of the Tang monk; and the movie "Journey to the West" The Moon Gate in "Red Sorghum", the winemaking workshop where "My Grandpa" urinated after being drunk, the sedan chair that Jiu'er took when he got married, the big vat for wine, and the bowls. There are costumes and props for rent in many places in the studio. Here, you can wear a set of costumes in the play, use the props in the movie, and walk around the scenes of the movie to live the addiction of being a star. Before going to Zhenbeibao Western Studios, you can revisit a few classic movies first, and then go to visit, you will have a different feeling.China · Yinchuan
The Wave Valley Scenic Area
Wavy Valley is also known as Jingbian Red Sand Rock Canyon. It is part of the Jingbian Longzhou Danxia Landform and is located in Yanjiazhaizi in Longzhou Township, southeast of Jingbian County. The Wavy Valley is a red sandstone landform with a magical appearance and high scientific research value. The spectacular landscape naturally formed over hundreds of millions of years. It is rare in China and can compete with the Danxia landform in the United States!China · Jingbian County
Helan Mountain Rock Painting
Helan Mountain Rock Painting Scenic Area is a national key cultural relic protection unit and a national 4A-level tourist attraction. It is known as the "history book in stone", "prehistoric human art gallery" and "the place where Chinese culture traces its origins". The Yinchuan World Rock Art Museum in the scenic area displays representative rock art from more than 60 countries and regions in the world, covering the latest results and information of current rock art research. There are 6,000 prehistoric rock paintings between 3,000 and 10,000 years old in the rock art site area. They are renowned in the international rock art community for their large number, rich content, wide range of themes, and rarity in the world. Yinchuan Han Meilin Art Museum collects and exhibits more than 1,000 works inspired by and based on Helan Mountain rock paintings by Mr. Han Meilin, showing the fusion of ancient and modern. After years of protective development, the scenic spot has become a comprehensive tourist attraction integrating exhibitions, science education, research and exchanges, artistic creation, leisure vacations and other functions.China · Helan
Baota Mountain
Baota Mountain is located in the center of Yan'an city, by the side of the Yan River, and is named after the pagoda on the mountain. The pagoda was first built in the Tang Dynasty, and the existing structure is a pavilion-style brick pagoda rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty. The pagoda, together with the mountain, the Yan River, and the bridge, forms the city skyline of Yan'an and is also a symbol of the revolutionary holy land in people's hearts. The poet He Jingzhi wrote in "Returning to Yan'an" the famous line, "How many times in my dreams have I returned to Yan'an, embracing Baota Mountain with both hands," adding emotional weight to this mountain. The mountain is densely scattered with historical sites, including Song dynasty cliff carvings, Fan Gong Well, beacon towers, Star-gazing Tower, Jialing Academy, ancient city walls, and the former site of the Japanese Workers' and Peasants' School. Among them, the inscriptions "Jialing Mountain" in clerical script and "My chest harbors tens of thousands of armored soldiers" by Fan Zhongyan of the Northern Song dynasty have long been renowned. An iron bell cast in the Ming dynasty still hangs beside the pagoda, which was used for timekeeping and alarms during the CPC Central Committee's Yan'an period. Ascending the mountain path to Star-gazing Tower and beacon tower areas offers panoramic views of Yan'an city and the Yan River. After nightfall, the mountain and pagoda illuminate, and gazing back at the lit pagoda from near Yan River Bridge remains a favorite photo spot for many travelers.China · Yan'an
Ningxia Museum
The Ningxia Museum is a provincial-level comprehensive museum in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The building's floor plan is shaped like the Chinese character "回" (hui), reflecting the region's name. The architectural elements used in the exterior decorations, such as the Kalavinka (a mythical bird) and the strongman-shaped support base, as well as the decorative patterns on the four main gates, are representative of Ningxia's historical and cultural heritage and possess distinct regional characteristics. The museum has four floors, with the three ground floors open to the general visitors. The first floor of the museum houses the visitor service hall and temporary exhibition halls. Here, you'll also find the rock painting exhibition titled "Stone carvings as history books." Stepping into this hall feels like entering an ancient era. While travelers often prefer visiting the ancient rock paintings in Helan Mountain, many rock art sites across Ningxia remain less visited due to their remote locations and limited transportation. In this exhibition hall, visitors can get up close with a wider collection of Ningxia's rock paintings. The museum's second floor houses the "General history of Ningxia exhibition hall," a key area for travelers. Treasures like the Western Han dynasty silver-inlaid bronze sheep, Tang dynasty stone door panels depicting the Sogdian whirl dance, Western Xia dynasty gilded bronze ox, and human figure pedestals are all displayed here. Travelers can also view rubbings of the "Stele inscription of the reconstructed Huguo Temple stupa in Liangzhou," where the Western Xia script appears more block-like than Chinese characters. The third floor features folk culture exhibits, including interactive electronic screens for experiencing Ningxia's unique square chess game.China · Yinchuan
Ganquan Canyon
Ganquan Canyon is located in Ganquan County, Yan'an, Shaanxi, and is also known as Yucha Canyon. It is a group of red sandstone fissures hidden deep in the ravines of the Loess Plateau, hailed as a "natural fissure wonder of the Loess Plateau." Legend has it that an ancient earthquake split the mountain, and years of rainwater and flash floods carved out the now winding and graceful ravines. Due to its striking resemblance to Antelope Canyon in the U.S., it is often called the "Chinese Antelope Canyon" by photography enthusiasts. The attraction consists of multiple ravines, including Huashu Gully, Longba Gully, Mudan Gully, and Thread of Sky Gully. Among them, Huashu Gully is renowned for its smooth, layered rock walls, offering both an easy hike and stunning photo opportunities, making it the highlight of the area. The true highlight of this canyon is its play of light and shadow. Around noon on sunny days, sunlight pours straight down through the narrow gap overhead, with warm hues of ochre and gold flowing slowly along the curves of the rock walls, while moss clinging to the surfaces adds a touch of emerald green. Standing at the canyon floor and looking up, the sky narrows into a bright, slender line—between the alternating light and shadow, every casual snapshot becomes strikingly picturesque. On overcast days or during early/late hours when light slants in, the rock walls appear noticeably duller, somewhat diminishing the visual impact. Here are a few tips for your visit: Huashu Gully is gentle and open, ideal for leisurely photography; Longba Gully alternates between wide and narrow sections, offering more adventurous fun; the narrowest part of Yixiantian is particularly cramped, so extra caution is needed when passing through. Some gullies occasionally have accumulated water and mud, making the paths slippery—wearing anti-slip shoes is advisable. If you're here for the light effects, try to schedule your gully visit around noon on sunny days.China · Ganquan
Free things to do in Otog Front Banner
Shuidonggou Tourist Attraction
Lingwu · 84.8 km from Otog Front Banner
Wuhai Lake Leisure Resort Tourist Area
China · Wuhai
Yangjialing Revolutionary Site
China · Yan'an
Tengger Desert
China · Alxa Left Banner
Zaoyuan Revolutionary Site
China · Yan'an
Qikou Ancient Town
China · Lin County
Tengger Desert
China · Zhongwei
Kangbashi Natural Museum
China · Ordos
Yinchuan Lanshan Park
China · Yinchuan
Etuoke Qianqi Yan'an Minzu Xueyuan Chengchuan Memorial Hall
Otog Front Banner · 90.5 km from downtown
What travelers say about Otog Front Banner
柏木悠然July 25, 2022
5.0
The 99 package ticket covers all the sand activities. There was no one but our family, and we had a great time. If you are with your kids, I suggest you come here. If you want to see a better desert, you can consider Shapotou and Xiangshawan, but those two places are crowded and commercialized, so you have to fill your wallet to go there.
Dashatou Tourist Area
亲爱爱的一生April 1, 2023
5.0
It must be a good place to go in summer. I must go there when I get the chance.
Malan Prairie
xiayutian198October 23, 2026
5.0
Shapotou Scenic Area is perfect for bringing kids! On the sheepskin rafts, boats number 22 and 23 were rowed smoothly, with the boatmen singing local folk songs for us.
The food prices within the scenic area are surprisingly reasonable – delicious and affordable, a rare find indeed. A bowl of beef noodles was 18 yuan, and noodles with minced meat sauce were 12 yuan. Water and grilled sausages were also reasonably priced. I would definitely come back again.
Shapotou Scenic Area
淘淘0728October 22, 2026
5.0
It's definitely worth a visit. First of all, the corridor outside the museum is incredibly photogenic. Personally, I think visiting Tomb No. 3 is enough; the others are pretty much the same. The museum itself is worth a visit, and a guided tour is even better, providing a more direct understanding of Western Xia culture and interesting anecdotes.
Xixia Imperial Tombs
子秋璟雯October 20, 2026
4.0
A film and television base. Many films and television dramas are filmed here. Most of the paths in the park are gravel dirt roads, so it's recommended to wear thick hiking shoes, otherwise your feet will protest. Overall, it's quite nice and worth a visit.
China West Film Studio
Anonymous userOctober 15, 2026
5.0
Wave Valley in Jingbian, Shaanxi, is truly an underrated scenic spot. The scenery is very unique, the facilities are complete, and the large loop is not difficult, making it accessible to most people.
The Wave Valley Scenic Area
M41***34October 19, 2026
4.0
The scenic area is quite large, but its main attraction is rather singular: the various rock paintings carved into the cliff faces. However, since they are remnants of the daily lives of ancient people, they are still worth seeing.
Helan Mountain Rock Painting
夜阑月色溶溶October 7, 2026
5.0
Because we had children with us, we opted to take the sightseeing bus up and down, which was very relaxing. We got a close look at the pagoda, took photos, and learned about its history, especially the plaques at the north and south gates: "Soaring high above the heavens, overlooking the mortal world"—for over 1000 years, the pagoda has achieved this.
Baota Mountain
M62***79October 20, 2026
5.0
The building is grand and the facilities are good, but the introduction of the value of key cultural relics needs improvement. The museum should strive to leave a deeper impression on visitors.
Ningxia Museum
M27***68October 9, 2026
5.0
I visited Ganquan Grand Canyon during the National Day holiday, avoiding the crowds at major cities and tourist attractions. It was a less crowded but still excellent experience!
Recommended by China National Geographic magazine, definitely worth a visit!
It's chilly and damp inside the canyon, so be sure to wear a thick coat. I wouldn't recommend coming in winter; it would probably be too cold.
Ganquan Canyon
