Yinchuan Xinhua Book Store (1) Directions & Introduction

The Main landmarks within suburban districts of Yinchuan are: the Bell- & Drum-Tower and nearby Yuhuang Pavilion, South Gate Square, the City Mosque or Nanguan Mosque, the North Pagoda and Temple (Haibao Ta) which are situated 2 kilometers outside of the Old Town proper, the Chentian Si and its West Pagoda and finally, The Ningxia Provincial museum with exhibitions on both the long history of the region and the details and riches of the Hui Ethnic Culture.

In total there are over 60 historical sites to be visited and enjoyed in Yinchuan and its vicinity.

The Xinhua Book Store is situated in the Center of the Old Town district (Xingqing Qu) of Yinchuan, at the most easy to find location.

Simply put, once you have located the Drum Tower of the old town, you have located the Xinhua Book Store as the book store is situated due to the north-west of the Drum Tower and across from the Jade Garden (Ningyuan) the small but wonderful garden that connects the two main architectural pieces of the Drum Tower and the Yuhuangge Pavilion which stands slightly to the east. Once you are near the Drum Tower it becomes impossible to miss the book store.

To be entirely certain, check the below map for the correct location.

Address: 209 Jiefang Xijie

银川市解放西街209号

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, and in Yinchuan it is also the best situated book store. The other Bookstore is the Foreign Language Bookstore.

As one can tell from its location, housed in a modern spacious and comfortably airconditioned building along the main boulevard in the Old City district, Xinhua Book Store is the prime book store within Yinchuan at this moment. No doubt, due to the vicinity of various monuments, landmarks and hot-spots of the district, it is the most well visited. For a regional Capital however, what is in stock may disappoint the visitor. Especially foreigners may find little of their use at Xinhua.

Xinhua Book Store mainly sells Chinese language magazines, books and other writing materials to the common Chinese citizen. This is also the case in Yinchuan. The far majority of readable materials inside thus are printed in Chinese languague. If you haven not mastered that (yet?), the stuff on hand becomes fairly useless.

The only other worthwhile items then become are the geographical maps, of which they have an especially well stocked section in Yinchuan, and any writing material you may be in need of. Naturally, pencils and paper are in plentiful supply.

region and understand your travels better. On top of this, there is a large variety of maps of other parts of China on sale as well, which allows you to stock up on maps for any other journey you may have planned.

Combine a visit to Xinhua Book Store with a walk around the Drum Tower and a small Tour of nearby monuments such as the Yuhuangge Pavilion and Ningyuan Garden.

Situated o the south of Xinhua Book Store, on the other side of the Drum Tower is Xinhua Street - the main commercial street of Yinchuan, which allows for a further shopping.

There are NO other book stores nearby however. Xinhua Street is all about clothing, shoes, glasses and other popular items, but not about learning or culture.

The only other Book Store available in Yinchuan is the (Yinchuan) Foreign Language Book Store, which is situated along the same boulevard as Xinhua (Jiefang Jie), but on the opposite side of the Drum Tower (so, on Jiefang Xie Jie = Jiefang West Street) at at least 5 to 7 minutes walking distance.

To get a taste of Chinese Culture and some of the ethnic culture in Yinchuan,

turn the corner on the left of the building and head up along the street to find several stores offering CD music and DVD's. This is Gulou Bei Jie - Gulou North Street, which could be dubbed the miniature 'Yinchuan Cultural Street'. This not due to its many ethnic performances but because it is the only street in Yinchuan on which one can go shopping for music and souvenir Dvd's. Find three music / DVD stores, as well as a store filled with ethnic costumes used in performances in the Hotels and elsewhere near the end of the street.

Xinhua Book Store is also a good place to gather before picking one of the better restaurants in town. Several of these are situated at or near the Drum Tower. To the East and immediatly adjacent of Xinhua Book Store stands a building that houses what is said to be the best Hot Pot restaurant in town. If you have never tasted this particular style of dish, favored mainly in northern regions, than this may be a goood opportunity.

For cheaper dining and anything in thestyle of the local Hui People, better go down south to the South Gate Square and the Muslim Quarter and Street at Yangguan Mosque, where one can indulge in cheap food, and a wide variety of local dishes. As always, most popular are the kebab skewers peddled throughout China by Muslim Restaurants. In Ningxia an added flavor is skewered fish, as boasted freshly caught from the (immesely polluted) Yellow River. Take a bite of you dare !!

It takes a bit of effort to find a restaurant that specializes in dishes specific to the Ningxia Region, but it is possible to find them.

Despite, its small inventory of useful materials for tourists, the Xinhua Book Store does serve a vital function for the few foreign tourist that sway through town. Because of its excellent location and all day air-conditioning, it is a great spot to use as a back up location in case anyone gets lost or disconnects from their group. It can be just the thing that may help you out.

Lost your travel companions while hiking through Yinchuan. No sense of direction? No problem: just about anyone can pronounce the words Gu Lou for the Drum Tower. Hence, anyone can get there by taxi or by means of walking. One there, chill out from the stress in the comfortable atmosphere inside the Xinhua Bookstore and come to your senses.

Xinhua Book Store is away from the (possible) crowds of the main shopping street and the Ningyuan Park. See each other at Xinhua to avoid overlooking one another and passing by in the crowd.

Other benefits of the location are: across the street and on the other side of the drum tower are several tourist hotels where

one might find an English speaking person for further help and assistance.

To the East, adjacent the Yuhuangge is a well stocked pharmacy in case anyone needs medications. Another one can be found on Gulou Nan Jie, alos known as Xinhua Shopping Street.

Cheap and easy food can be found in adjacent stores and small restaurants.