In total there are over 60 historical sites to be visited and enjoyed in Yinchuan and its vicinity.
The Yinchuan Report
Foreign language Bookstore - How to Get There:
The Yinchuan Foreign Language Bookstore is situated in the downtown area of the old town district (Xingqing Qu) of Yinchuan, at some walking distance due west of the most popular tourist zone within Yinchuan, which is the section where the Drum Tower, the Jade Garden Park and the Yuhuangge Pavilion connect together. The Drum Tower is the location of the Xinhua Bookstore. Find the foreign language due west of the Drum Tower along the main boulevard of this section of town, Jiefang Jie. To be exact, the store is situated along the south- and down section of the street, at the corner with Jinning South Street - Jinning Nanjie.
Although its a brave try for a modernizing backwater town such as Yinchuan, there really is not too much that can be recommended about the Foreign Language Book Store in Yinchuan. The store is quite small, and seems to be situated at the wrong locations, that is - for catering to foreign visitors to town. It would be better situated at the or near Drum Tower Street (Gulou Dajie), where most tourist hotels are situated.
But fair enough, it is a good try for a city where, at least until recently, no one spoke a foreign language at all, and if they did, it was Arabic due to the religious preferences of the Hui in these regions.
Head inside to find a small collection of international books, as well as magazines and a few newspapers. This is your ONLY chance in Yinchuan to stock up on reading so do not be to picky. Contrary to the Xinhua Book Store, the Foreign Language book store
View of the front of Yinchuan Foreign Language Bookstore situated along main throughfare Jiegang (Xi) Jie not too far from the Drum Tower, Ningyuan Garden and Yuhuangge Pavilion.
Although Yinchuan is rapidly gaining in modernity, being connected to the Chinese hinterland by modern trains and recently its very own National Airport, for most of its history Yinchuan was pretty much a backwater and outpost. Although the city has been expanded with many blocks of modern apartments, and even a huge and sprawling University campus in the new city, the feeling of disconnection remains. There are still not too many facilities for the modern traveler within Yinchuan. For example, there are as of yet only two Book Stores available in the entire town. As usual, the Xinhua Book Store is one of them. The other Bookstore in Yinchuan is the Foreign Language Bookstore.
Where in Yinchuan the Xinhua Bookstore is the best located and most easily found bookstore, it is the Foreign language Bookstore that offers the more interesting materials for Foreign visitors.
Yinchuan Foreign Language Book Store - What to Get:
Yinchuan Foreign Language Bookstore is located at the corner of Jiefang West Street (Jiefang Xie Jie) and Jinning South Street (Jinng Nanjie) both busy roads.
- Mouse over Image -
A Map of the North-Eastern section of Yinchuan (Beitahu) with the locations of Zhongshan Park and the Haibao pagoda & monastery as well as the Foreign Language Bookstore.
has only a modest collection of maps on offer, only the tourist maps of town.
Unfortunatly, there are no other worthwhile stores in the immediate vicinity. Hopefully this situation will change and business will continue and prosper at the Yinchuan Foreign Language Bookstore.