The Ningxia Guyuan Museum’s main exhibition, “千年固原 丝路华章,” displays 2,280 objects excavated locally and spans more than 5,000 years—from the Neolithic period to the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the nearby town, the Liupan Mountains Red Army Long March Tourism Area is another historical highlight. The two sites offer different perspectives: the museum places finds in a broader historical context, while the tourism area focuses on the Long March through educational activities and an uphill trail.
Red tourism and an uphill trail
The Liupan Mountains tourism area is one of China’s first 100 classic red tourism sites. It is also designated a national patriotism education base and a national defense education base. A description from 2024 mentions patriotic education activities under the theme “六个一” (“six ones”). These include walking a section of the Long March and having a meal in the style of the Red Army.
The 2.5-kilometer “红军小道” (“Red Army Trail”) climbs uphill through the area. Along the way, 18 miniature scenes illustrate important events of the Long March. You can include the trail as a separate route in your day’s plans. If you plan to walk the trail or take part in the activities, check access to the trail and the current program in advance.
Collections at the Ningxia Guyuan Museum
The Ningxia Guyuan Museum was classified as a national first-class museum in 2008 and rated a national 4A tourist attraction in 2009. It houses nearly 20,000 cultural relics, including 123 national first-class cultural relics and three national treasures. The museum identifies the national treasures as a painted coffin painting from the Northern Wei dynasty, a gilt silver jar from the Northern Zhou dynasty, and a glass bowl with raised bosses.
The exhibition “千年固原 丝路华章” is divided into five chronological sections: prehistory; the pre-Qin period; the Qin and Han periods; the Southern and Northern Dynasties through the Sui and Tang dynasties; and the Song, Western Xia, Jin and Yuan dynasties through the Ming and Qing dynasties. This structure shows the breadth of the main exhibition’s historical scope. Together with the locally excavated objects, it offers a view of the region’s history through specific finds and successive eras.
Other exhibitions focus on narrower topics. The themed exhibition “隐形将军韩练成” (“The Invisible General Han Liancheng”) displays 117 groups of items from Han Liancheng’s estate. The “古墓馆” exhibition features life-size reconstructions of nine local tombs dating from the Western Zhou dynasty to the Yuan dynasty. If a particular exhibition is important to your plans, check what is currently on display before visiting.
Putting the landscape and travel options into context
Yunwushan Grassland lies 45 kilometers northeast of Guyuan City. It was established in 1982 as a grassland nature reserve covering 4,000 hectares and designated a regional-level nature reserve in 1995. This adds a landscape-related option in the surrounding area to the cultural and historical attractions.
There is also a time-specific announcement about air travel: on March 17, 2026, ahead of the start of the new flight schedule, it was announced that Guyuan Liupanshan Airport was expected to offer a total of six flight routes to ten cities. The planned route network was to cover key regions of northern, eastern, southwestern, northwestern, central and southern China. For your trip, check routes and flight times for your specific travel dates.
For trip planning, you can consider three separate questions: which collection or period interests you at the museum, whether you want to combine the Long March with the activities described, and whether Yunwushan fits your plans as a landscape destination. If any of these is a reason for your stay, base your choices on the actual program and the travel options confirmed for your dates.
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