Binggou Han Tombs

Binggou Han Tombs

The Binggou Han Tombs are a cultural relics protection site of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

The Binggou Han Tombs are located in Yueyahu Township, Xingqing District, Yinchuan City, about 45 kilometers from the city center. Prior to January 2004, the area belonged to Taole County in Shizuishan City and was designated as a key cultural relics protection site of Shizuishan. It is now a key cultural relics protection site of Yinchuan City.

The Binggou Han Tombs are spread along the eastern bank of the Yellow River, with a large desert region to the northeast and a flood gully about 40 meters deep (commonly referred to as Binggou) to the south. The terrain is higher in the southwest and slightly lower in the northeast. According to surveys, there are over a hundred tombs in the burial complex, covering an area of about 4 square kilometers. The tomb mounds are conical in shape, varying in size, with the largest having a base diameter of 16 meters and a remaining height of 3–4 meters, and the smallest with a base diameter of 5–6 meters and a remaining height of 2 meters. Due to flood erosion, some tombs have collapsed, exposing the coffins. The collapsed tombs are all brick-chambered, consisting of both single-chamber and double-chamber types. Scattered around the tomb cluster are remnants of Han Dynasty bricks, tiles, and pottery shards. The Binggou Han Tombs represent the largest Han tomb cluster discovered in Ningxia to date.

Source: Yinchuan Municipal Government Portal Website

Yueyahu Township: Yueyahu Township is located 68 kilometers northeast of Yinchuan City, situated at the junction of the Mu Us Desert and the Yellow River. It gets its name from a lake in the shape of a crescent moon. (Legend has it that in 33 BC, when Wang Zhaojun was sent to marry a Xiongnu chieftain as part of a peace agreement, she reached a ferry crossing on the Yellow River. Gazing at the surging river, she felt deeply sorrowful—crossing the river meant moving even further away from Chang’an. Before departure, she resolved not to look back along the way, but as soon as she crossed the Yellow River, her longing for her parents back home suddenly overwhelmed her. Unable to help herself, she turned to gaze wistfully toward her hometown and stood there lost in thought, tears streaming down her face unnoticed... More details about Yueyahu Township++)