A bronze bull sculpture uneathered from the Western Xia Imperial Tombs

An iron cauldron unearthed from the Western Xia Imperial Tombs

Nestled at the foot of the Helan Mountain, 30 kilometers west of Yinchuan, capital city of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, some sprawling mausoleums of earthen "pyramids" stand as a silent witness to a vanished kingdom. 

The Western Xia Imperial Tombs, often dubbed the "Oriental Pyramids," were built by the Tangut (Dangxiang) people, an ethnic minority that prospered in agricultural-husbandry areas of Northwest China between the 11th and 13th centuries. 

It is the best-preserved and largest cultural heritage site from the Tangut civilization.

Currently, the site has been included into China's 2025 nomination for World Heritage status, and will be reviewed at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris in July.

Chen Tongbin, a member of Chinese Society of Cultural Relics who participated in the UNESCO World Heritage application, told the Global Times that the nomination process, which began in 2011, is finally nearing its conclusion after 13 years.

"Their [Tangut people] story, long obscured by time and conquest, is now emerging as a testament to the multicultural roots of Chinese civilization," Chen said.

Tracing the lost kingdom

For centuries, the Western Xia Imperial Tombs were little more than enigmatic mounds scattered across the Gobi Desert. 

Their identity remained a mystery until the 1930s when a pilot soaring over the Helan Mountain captured their haunting silhouette. 

His photographs, published in a book, became important photographic evidence for a major 20th-century Chinese archaeological discovery.

In 1972, a dedicated team led by pioneering archaeologist Zhong Kan began excavating the site. 

To date, nine imperial tombs, 271 subordinate tombs, a 5-hectare complex of architectural ruins and 32 flood control sites, in addition to over 7,100 architectural components and finely crafted artifacts, have been uncovered at this site, Wang Changfeng, an archaeologist who has worked at the site for 28 years, told the Global Times.

"These findings have offered valuable insights into the sophisticated engineering, artistry and cultural achievements of the Western Xia Dynasty (1038-1227)," he said.

This 40-square-kilometer complex - comparable in scale to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Tombs in Beijing - holds the secrets of the Tangut people.

Media reported that the Tanguts rose to power in 1038 under the leadership of Li Yuanhao, who declared himself emperor of the Great Western Xia Kingdom. 

For nearly 200 years, the dynasty thrived at the crossroads of the Silk Road, forging a hybrid culture that blended Tangut, Han, Uygur and Tibetan ethnicities. 

But their reign ended abruptly in 1227, when Genghis Khan's Mongol armies razed their capital. 

The Tanguts' written records were destroyed, their language forgotten, and their history nearly erased - until the tombs began to speak.  

Among the most pivotal discoveries was a shattered stele in Tomb No.7. 

In the 1980s, scholar Li Fanwen spent years piecing together 3,270 fragments of inscribed stone, eventually deciphering a key phrase, which helps to confirm the tomb's occupant as the fifth Western Xia emperor, offering a rare link between archaeological evidence and historical texts.  

Yet mysteries linger. Chen told the Global Times that only the No.6 of the nine imperial tombs have been partially excavated, and the identities of most rulers remain unknown. 

According to Xinhua News Agency, with support from government, reinforcement projects have been carried out on nine imperial tombs and 44 subordinate tombs.

The local government and related departments have invested more than 700 million yuan ($102 million) in cultural relics protection, and environment and infrastructure improvement since the application project started many years ago.

A mosaic of civilizations

Many experts and scholars told the Global Times that what makes the Western Xia Imperial Tombs a compelling candidate for UNESCO status is not merely their grandeur, but their role as a crossroads of cultures. 

Historical records indicate that during the Western Xia Dynasty, various ethnic groups, including the Tangut, Han, Uygur and Tibetan, coexisted. 

Their diverse livelihoods, religious practices and cultural customs enriched the Western Xia heritage - shaping its distinctive and multifaceted cultural identity.

Wang gave an example that the architectural features and artifacts from the Western Xia Imperial Tombs reveal it as a cultural convergence point, embodying the coexistence and profound integration of diverse cultures in the region.

The Western Xia Imperial Tombs represent a unique form in China's imperial tomb architecture. 

The delicate stone carvings combine the Tang Dynasty's robustness with the Song Dynasty's refinement. 

Kneeling stone horses and sheep, and unique human figure stele bases are distinctive to the Western Xia Imperial Tombs.

"The Tanguts embraced Han civilization but reshaped it to forge their own identity," Du Jianlu, dean of the School of Ethnology and History at Ningxia University, told the Global Times. This cultural interplay extended beyond borders. Despite political rivalries during the Song-Liao-Xia-Jin period (10th-13th centuries), trade flourished along multiple Silk Roads. 

"These networks weren't just about goods. They carried ideas, technologies, and artistic styles that enriched all of Eurasia," Du noted. He said the Western Xia controlled the Hexi Corridor, a vital artery for jade, spices, and silver flowing between China and Central Asia.

"As a multi-ethnic regime, Western Xia culture was diverse and eclectic, yet it was predominantly shaped by the Chinese civilization. This cultural identification has been a powerful intrinsic force driving the formation and development of a sense of community for the Chinese nation," Du added.

The Western Xia Imperial Tombs Photos on this page: VCG