History · 18 Sept 2026
The empire the history books forgot
For about two centuries the Western Xia, or Tangut, state controlled a stretch of the Silk Road between the Song dynasty and the steppe. It had its own script, its own Buddhist culture and its own emperors.
Then it was destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th century, and much of its memory went with it. What remains in the shadow of the Helan Mountains are the great earthen mausoleums of its rulers, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2025.
We visit early in the morning, when the light is low and the site is quiet. Your road leader will tell the story along the way.