Though Yinchuan is a small center compared to other capital cities in China, it nonetheless has some local specialties from the city and the surrounding region of Ningxia. Of note in Yinchuan are the famed local 'five treasures', each corresponding to a color, red, yellow, blue, white and black. Red is the medlar, a small bushy tree that produces small fruits that are reminiscent of apples, yellow represents the local licorice root, often used medicinally, blue is the helan stone, which is often carved into calligraphic inkstones, white represents lambskin leather products, and black is for 'star jelly', a local edible algae. Ningxia is also notable for the beautiful carpets that are produced there, one of the five different styles of rugs in China. Local tea and porcelain are specialties as well.

Like most other centers in China, there is a commercial street in Yinchuan, where you can find a concentration of large department stores, all carrying clothing and house wares. Xingqing Street also plays host to a number of small street-side stalls selling local souvenirs and handicrafts.