After seeing the Genghis Khan Mausoleum, I left Inner Mongolia for Ninxia Hui, a small autonomous region in north-central China. My first stop was Yinchuan, Ninxia Hui's small capital, with a population of 800,000. Being a Chinese city, everything there seemed interesting to me, from a lake on the city's northwest side, to a smallish mosque, to a pedestrian shopping street. Here are a few photos from my stroll through Yinchuan:
The Yinchuan train station.
The things you see when you ride trains. In this case, a giant statue in the middle of nowhere.
First stop in Yinchuan: A tribute to the Roman Coliseum.
Aloha, my new Taiwanese friend. That's his name; I'm not just saying hello.
A sexy lumberjack.
Yinchuan's ancient Bell Tower.
This friendly street sweeper gave us directions to the Nanguan Mosque. But first, we had a long street to walk down.
Proud parents of the coolest kid in the world.
An old man playing a traditional Chinese instrument.
This guy was selling hand-cut pop-up cards on the street.
This man had no arms, yet he was painting beautiful calligraphy with his feet. What an inspiration he was.
This sketch artist had a whole crowd of people captivated.
Sweet potatoes have to be one of the best bargain foods available in Chinese cities. For less than one dollar, you can get a large, delicious and nutritious meal.
This guy cooked us some “Chinese hamburgers” over an open flame.
Learning to ride with training wheels, under the watchful gaze of Chairman Mao.
A ring toss game. You could win a rabbit, a chipmunk, a small bird or even a goldfish. Test your luck!
After a lot of walking, we reached the Nanguan Mosque.
My new friends and tour guides.
The ornate interior of the mosque.
The mosque after sunset.
And here are some more photos from Ningxia Hui.
