Qingtongxia is a small city on the Yellow River about 80 kilometres south of Yinchuan, known almost entirely for one extraordinary monument: the 108 Dagobas, a hillside array of white stupas arranged in a vast triangular formation overlooking the river. The stupas — built during the Yuan dynasty in the 13th or 14th century — are set in concentric rows of varying shapes: some are pyramid-form, some gourd-shaped, some vase-form, covering the terraced slope in a geometric pattern that looks more like an earthwork than a religious site when seen from a distance.
The number 108 is significant in Buddhism, representing the human vices that must be overcome on the path to enlightenment. The construction is attributed to the Western Xia dynasty, though the existing structures date to later reconstruction. The site is best seen in late afternoon when the light catches the white plaster against the tawny hills and the Yellow River Gorge below. A small museum at the entrance provides context on the Western Xia civilisation that created this and similar monuments across the region.
The town of Qingtongxia itself is unremarkable — it exists primarily as a point of access for the stupas and for the Yellow River. Buses from Yinchuan take about an hour and a half; the city is also on the rail line from Yinchuan to Zhongwei, which provides a scenic ride along the river valley.
Most visitors come on a day trip from Yinchuan and pair the dagobas with a boat trip on the Yellow River — the combination of desert hills, the wide brown river, and the white stupas makes for an afternoon that is distinctly Ningxian in character. The site admission is around 50 yuan, and golf carts are available for those who prefer not to walk the hillside.