Turning from the southwest to the northeast, Helan Mountains lie on the boundary of Ningxia and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regions. They are sitting on the transitional belt between north temperate grassland and desert, at an elevation of 1400 to 3500m, with a 2556m highest peak, which has stopped desert and Siberian cold current from encroaching upon.

Their southeastern slope runs along Shiguishan, Yinchuan, Pingluo, Helan and Yongning Counties, Ningxia, and designated as a Nature Reserve in 1982, and the area amounts to 160,000 hectares.

Their northeastern slope is situated in Alxa Left Banner, Inner Mongolia, and in 1992 also was opened as a Reserve occupying an area of 67,000 hectares.

The warm and arid southeastern slope supports 690 species of vascular bundle plants, including Qinghai spruce, Chinese pine and stiffleaf juniper, of which 5 species are under key state protection.

The complex terrain of the northeastern slope harbours 511 species of vascular bundle plants, of which 3 species are under key state protection.
Over 170 species of terrestrial vertebrates including leopard, argali, red deer, musk deer, black stork and bustard, have found protection here.