My perception of the northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region was pretty much the same as many of my friends' before I headed there earlier this month. The desert-like, underdeveloped region was probably bleak and lacking a pulse. Sparsely populated and frequented by sandstorms, especially in springtime, Ningxia would be a boring place for tourists except for those like me, curious to verify the harsh environment and life depicted in many books and films.

Yet the region, with the predominantly Muslim Hui ethnic group making up a third of the population, turns out to be blessed with magnificent landscapes, impressive historical and cultural relics and easily accessible desert areas which serve as fabulous playgrounds for both children and adults.

Islamic exploration

Having fostered a strong bond with Muslim countries in the Middle East primarily with economic exchanges, the region has been setting its eyes on becoming a major Muslim tourism destination in China and bringing in more Muslim tourists from Southeast Asia. The many trilingual - Chinese, English and Arabic - signs at major tourist spots in the capital city of Yinchuan testify to this effort.

Having gained its status as an autonomous region in 1958, Ningxia has the third largest number of mosques in the country, after Henan and Gansu provinces. The Nanguan Mosque in Yinchuan is one of the largest in Ningxia and a must-see spot in the city. With a 22-meter-tall and roughly 1,000-square-meter prayer hall that can accommodate 1,000, the centuries-old mosque, which reopened to the public after a refurbishment in 1981, holds a high status spiritually as well as literally: its five green domes make it stand out from neighboring commercial buildings. The mosque, open daily, remains quiet when the prayer hall is not in use. The Arabic language courses, hosted for youngsters to study Quran, welcome Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

About a 50-minute bus ride from downtown Yinchuan, the China Hui Culture Park in Yongning county is a popular destination for visiting tourists and locals since opening in 2005. The marble entrance building, 38 meters tall and inspired by India's Taj Mahal, lends the park a strong air of significance and elegance. The 7,000-square-meter Muslim Museum details the history of Muslims in Ningxia and China from the earliest records and details their customs and religion with authentic artifacts, photos and sculptures.

After I came back from the park, I spent about two hours strolling around downtown Yinchuan. Having been home to both Han Chinese and Hui for centuries, Yinchuan seems to be a more secular place, and the Hui here dress like any average Chinese.

Unlike Middle Eastern women, female Muslims in the city do not wear long, black robes and can go without covering up their hair with hijab, a tradition widely abided by Middle Eastern women as a sign of modesty. Middle-aged Hui women might wear light violet, cylindrical hats, but young women simply ignore the tradition, as a lot of families don't impose the rule on them, especially if they are still in school. Most elderly Muslim men still keep the habit of wearing taqiyah, the short, round, white prayer caps, but many of the younger generation have started to abandon the custom.

Many of the Hui, even a guide in one mosque, are not so keen to expound on their religious beliefs and traditions to inquiring outsiders, a big difference from people I encountered on a recent trip to Dubai. But from a small chat with locals, I learned that religion is strictly adhered here and the month-long fast of Ramadan, which forbids eating and drinking during the daytime, is still the most important occasion for them to connect with their faith.

Tomb raider

I joined a one-day tour the next day, setting off for northern suburban areas of Yinchuan for its most significant sights: the Xixia tombs and the Western Film Studio, which has made a name for itself as the filming site for Zhang Yimou's award-winning film Red Sorghum (1987).

Yinchuan once served as the capital city of the ancient Xixia Dynasty (1038-1227). Founded by the Tangut people, the Xixia Dynasty made remarkable achievements in literature, art, music and written language, with 6,600 Tangut characters - created with reference to Chinese characters - forming an important cultural heritage for studying that period. However, the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) completely wiped out the state and the Tangut ethnic group along with it with a three-day massacre in Yinchuan.

I have always been fascinated by this period of history and my visit to the suburban Xixia tombs - which includes a museum on the Xixia Dynasty, remnants of nine imperials mausoleums and 250 subordinate tombs - allowed me to see a living record of the era.

The Tai tomb (also called No.3 tomb) belonged to founding emperor Li Yuanhao and is the best persevered and most easily accessible tomb. The beehive-shaped earthen pyramid, nicknamed the Oriental Pyramid, has an extravagant structure accompanied by an array of watchtowers, pavilions and a sacrificial hall.

Devoid of much greenery at this time of year, the Imperial tombs did not make it on the itineraries of many tourists, so the morning I went, it was just me and 10 college students on the grounds. Walking around the tomb in such a tranquil state, I felt like I had the whole 53-square-kilometers of history to myself.

Film buff

About a 20 minute drive from the imperial tombs lies the tourist-oriented Zhenbeibu China West Film Studio, one of the three biggest film studios in China and the most famous one in Western China. Built in the desert area of the county and subjected to frequent sandstorms, the studio opened in 1992 and now receives only six film crews a year. Tourists flock to it, taking photos with fake props, sets of the Ming and Qing dynasties, replicas of famed buildings and miniatures of city and rural life of Ningxia residents in different historical periods.

While most Chinese tourists headed toward the set from Red Sorghum, the one I found particularly interesting was the lot displaying settings and items from the chaotic years of the Cultural Revolution (1966-76). Having been used for several period films, the lot features replicas of a cow shed, an enclosed room for imprisoning wronged intellectuals, and the dazibao, or big-character posters carrying ambitious slogans promoting Mao's authority.

Attracting a lot of attention, a photo stand near the exit allows visitors to rent green military uniforms and red armbands to pose as hongweibing, or red guards, an active force in that period whose torture led to the death of many intellectuals. Handsomely dressed, two college students joyfully posed for a picture, perhaps in defiance or ignorance of the notorious reputation of the outfits they donned.

Desert fun

A trip to Ningxia isn't complete without seeing the vast desert it's famous for. The two popular areas, Sand Lake to the north of Yinchuan and Shapotou Tourism Area in the nearby city of Zhongwei, are only a two-hour drive from Yinchuan. If you can make a day of it, Shapotou would be a better choice for its grander desert vista and wider range of activities including sand sliding, drifting on the Yellow River and riding camels and four-wheelers.

At first sight of the glittering sand, awe filled me. Though it was only 10 degrees the day I visited, the sand was toasty to sit or lie on. A 15-mintue ride on a 2.5-meter-tall camel gave me a better view to enjoy the scenery. While the scenic spot offers different adventurous activities, the satisfying way to enjoy the fabulous desert is to sunbathe on a warm and soft slope in the southern area. Hours under the toasty sun made all time and effort getting there worthwhile.

Rules of thumb:

When to go: The peak travel season for Ningxia starts now and continues through November, though it's best to avoid the busy summer months. With a continental climate, the average temperature in summer ranges from 17 to 24 degrees.

How to get around: Tourist sites in and around Yinchuan can be reached by public transportation. To save time, visitors can hire a car for 300 yuan ($48) a day sharing with two other tourists, and travel to three or four tourist sites in Yinchuan in a day.

Must-have items: The sun can be scorching, even in spring, particularly in the desert. Sunscreen, sunglasses and hats are essential items. As the area is often stricken by sandstorms, masks are highly recommended as well, as they protect the face from both sand and sun.

Eat: Most restaurants have signs indicating whether they are a Han or Hui. Western food can be pricier than in Beijing. Local specialties include beef noodles and boiled mutton eaten with your hands.