Xixia Imperial Tombs showcase resilience of Chinese civilization

Cultural heritage stands as a living testament to the continuity of Chinese civilization. In 2025, the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee approved the inscription of the Xixia Imperial Tombs, nominated by China, onto the World Heritage List. With this addition, China now has 60 World Heritage sites, each bearing cultural symbols that transcend time and continue to resonate today.

Located at the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, the Xixia Imperial Tombs comprise nine imperial mausoleums and 271 subsidiary tombs scattered across a vast landscape. Built mainly with rammed-earth techniques typical of northern China, the site reflects the grandeur and solemnity of imperial history. Centered on towering, pagoda-shaped mausoleum platforms, the tombs inherit the burial traditions of the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, integrating the Helan Mountains and the Yellow River into a harmonious natural setting. They represent the largest and best-preserved remains of the Western Xia, or Xixia, Dynasty (1038-1227) in China.

The Xixia Dynasty was founded primarily by the Tangut people, with Han people forming an important part of its population, alongside Uygur, Tibetan and other ethnic groups. Its territory covered present-day Ningxia, most of Gansu, and parts of Qinghai, Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi. Drawing heavily on the political, economic and cultural systems of the Central Plains dynasties in northern China, Xixia developed rapidly and made significant contributions to the spread of Chinese civilization and the formation of a shared Chinese national identity.

More than 7,100 cultural relics have been unearthed from the Xixia Imperial Tombs, including architectural components, stone tablets, ceramics, horse gear, coins, clay sculptures and mural fragments. Architectural elements account for the largest share, offering valuable clues to the former splendor of the mausoleum complex and a window into the rich history of the Xixia Dynasty.

As a key legacy of the dynasty, the tombs' location, layout and architectural forms reveal a deep respect for and understanding of Chinese civilization. Following the traditional Central Plains burial principle of "backed by mountains and facing water," the complex sits against the Helan Mountains and looks out over the Yellow River. From its elevated terrain, the site overlooks the Yinchuan Plain and the winding river beyond, combining majestic natural scenery with cultural symbolism. The Xixia Imperial Tombs thus stand as a vivid example of the inheritance, development and multicultural integration of Chinese civilization.