Fascinating rock carvings offer an intriguing insight into ancestors and origins, Deng Zhangyu and Hu Dongmei report.

Walking in the park of Helanshan Rock Art Relics in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, is like taking a stroll through history. One can't help but marvel and be fascinated at the number of artworks and carvings engraved on the rocks at the entrance to the Helan Mountains. These motifs and patterns, painted or carved, were an encyclopedia of knowledge before human beings knew how to read or write. And today they help us understand how our ancestors lived.