 Ning
is short for Ningxia Hui Clan Autonomous region. It lies in the western part
of the Yellow River. It is 66,000 square kilometers in area, with a
population of 4.8 million. It is the main inhabiting region of the people in
Hui Clan.
Its topography is mainly plateaus and hilly lands. They occupy 75 percent
in area. The plains here occupy more than 25 percent. The Yellow River flows
in the northern part. It has a semi-moist continental climate in temperate
zone. The resource of the coal is amongst the important place in China.
There are also phosphorus, gypsum, iron, petroleum and salt.
Its major industries are coal mining, electric power, machinery and
metallurgical industry. In agriculture, there is wheat and hemp. Tan
sheepskin, matrimony-vine, licorice are well known both in China and aboard.
Baolan Railway runs through the northern part, and the highway system is
convenient too.
Ningxia has a long history. There are a lot of historic relics. The
places of interest are Yin chuanhai Tower, Tomb of Xixia¡¯s monarch,
Zhongwei Temple, 108 towers in Qingtong Gorge, caves in Xumi Mountain, and
the mosque in Tongxin. The traditional specialties are Tan sheepskin,
Helanshan inkstone, Facai in Tongxin and Haiyuan, matrimony-vine in Zhongwei
and Zhongning.
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