Ningxia is asteroid #2539 and also known as 1964 TS₂. Ningxia was discovered “by” (as if self-operating) the Purple Mountain Observatory (so most likely by an unknown astronomer) or Zĭjīnshān-Tiānwéntái (紫金山天文台) at Nánjīng (南京), Jiāngsū (江蘇 / 江苏), People’s Republic of China. Ningxia’s orbit is characterized by a semi-major axis of 2.26 Astronomical Units, an eccentricity of 0.17, a period of revolution of 1 242 days, and an inclination of 4.0 degrees.

Ningxia is named after Níngxià-Huízú-zìzhìqū (宁夏回族自治区). This autonomous region borders Shǎnxī-shěng (traditional: 陝西省 / simplified: 陕西省) to the east, Nèi-Měnggǔ-zìzhìqū (内蒙古自治区) to the north and west, and Gānsù-shěng (traditional: 甘肅 / simplified: 甘肃) to the south. Níngxià (宁夏) used to be a borderland, where Chinese forces frequently clashed with nomadic tribes. Níngxià (宁夏) in consequence became characterized by military settlements and horse breeding. Níngxià-Huízú-zìzhìqū (宁夏回族自治区) today is one of China’s smallest territories on province level and has a low population density. Many people there still live as pastoralists. There is some great farmland, but it is deteriorating rapidly. Níngxià (宁夏) in 1914 was merged with Gānsù (甘肅), but separated from it in 1928. Then again was merged with Gānsù (甘肅) in 1954, but made a separate autonomous region in 1958. Then Níngxià (宁夏) received a part of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 1969, but had to return it in 1979. Yínchuān (銀川 / 银川) is the capital and largest city of Níngxià-Huízú-zìzhìqū (宁夏回族自治区). Yínchuān (銀川 / 银川) already was, under the name Xīngqìng (興慶), the capital of the Xī-Xià (西夏) Empire. This was a Tangut-led imperial dynasty of China and hence also is called the Tangut Empire. Its official name was Dà-Xià (大夏). It existed from 1038 until 1227 and was founded on the territory of modern Níngxià (宁夏). It expanded far into the neighboring territories.

The Chinese word níng (traditional: 寧 / simplified: 宁) means peaceful. Xià (夏) in Níngxià (宁夏) refers to the Dà-Xià (大夏) or Xī-Xià (西夏) Empire. This itself got its name by referring to the most ancient Chinese dynasty. The Chinese word xià (夏) also has the meaning summer and Xià (夏) exists as a Chinese family-name. Huízú-zìzhìqū (回族自治区) means the autonomous region of the Huí (回) people. Although the Huí (回) are counted as one of the 56 nationalities of China, they are real Chinese. They differ from the dominant Hàn (汉) only in the respect that Huí (回) are Muslims. The official definition is that Huí (回) are all Muslims, who don’t belong to any other ethnic group. Muslims aren’t segregated in China, but have decided themselves that they want to live and behave differently than other Chinese, so that they isolate themselves.

Ningxia hints to the autonomous region of the Huí (回) people in the People’s Republic of China. Although it is a place name asteroid, Ningxia also is an asteroid of the peace theme like Pax or Irene or Liaoning. The latter is most similar to Ningxia because it also is a place name asteroid named after some territory in China. While Liaoning is representing peace as something, which is going on, Ningxia represents a prosperous period in the history of China as a role model for peace. Also the tolerance of different lifestyles in Níngxià-Huízú-zìzhìqū (宁夏回族自治区) can be seen as a role model or a precondition for peace and certainly also represented by Ningxia.