A tourist views a cultural relic at the Western Xia Museum near the Imperial Tombs of the Western Xia Kingdom (1038-1227), in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 6, 2008. Located at the eastern foot of the Helan Mountains, 35 kilometers west of Yinchuan, the Imperial Tombs cover an area of 40 square kilometers. They were first built by Li Yuanhao, founder of the Western Xia Kingdom, a feudal kingdom along with the Song (960-1279) and Liao (916-1125) dynasties. The kingdom lasted for 189 years under the reign of 10 successive emperors, contributing significantly to the development of China's western regions. Dubbed as the "Oriental Pyramid ", the Imperial Tombs include nine mausoleums burying imperial family members of the Western Xia Kingdom and 207 tombs of dukes and ministers.
