Ruins of the Ancient City of Gahai

Ruins of the Ancient City of Gahai

The ruins of the Ancient City of Gahai are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Ancient City of Gahai is located in Gahai Village, Ganzihe Township, Haibei County, surrounded by lush lakeside grasslands and situated along the main route from Haibei to Gangcha.

The Ancient City of Gahai measures 435 meters from east to west and 436 meters from north to south, forming a square shape. The city walls are 12 meters wide and 4.8 meters high, constructed from rammed earth with layers 6 centimeters thick. There is a gate on each of the four sides, each about 7 meters wide. The terrain inside the city is higher in the south and lower in the north. The northeastern part is a flat square, while the southwestern part is higher and was the site of original housing foundations. Artifacts unearthed include Wuzhu coins from the Han Dynasty, gray pottery shards, and fragments of bronze mirrors. This city is a Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Ancient City of Gahai is one of the five ancient cities in the area around Qinghai Lake. It was built at the same time as the Triangle City in Haibei County. This city was established on the lush lakeside grasslands. Situated in the eastern hinterland of the Kangzi River Grassland—surrounded by mountains and facing water, flat and expansive—it was historically a central area of Qiang people activity and falls within the scope of the Tuguxi culture. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu were driven north and various Qiang tribes pushed westward. As a result, many Qiang people from the Huangshui River basin were forced to migrate to the northern part of Qinghai Lake, making this area a hub of Qiang population and unprecedented prosperity in history. The city measures 435 meters from east to west and 436 meters from north to south, forming a square shape. The city walls are 12 meters wide and 4.8 meters high, constructed from rammed earth with layers 6 centimeters thick. There is a gate on each of the four sides, each about 7 meters wide. The terrain inside the city is higher in the south and lower in the north. The northeastern part is a flat square, while the southwestern part is higher and was the site of original housing foundations. Artifacts unearthed include Wuzhu coins from the Han Dynasty, gray pottery shards, and fragments of bronze mirrors. This city is a Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

In 2019, the ruins of the Ancient City of Gahai were included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Address: Gahai Village, Ganzihe Township, Haibei County, Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture

Type: Historical Site / Ancient Town / Ancient Village

Recommended Visiting Time: 30–60 minutes

Opening Hours:

Open all day

Ticket Information:

No admission fee.

Ganzihe Township: Ganzihe Township is located in the northwest of Haibei County, approximately 67 kilometers from the county seat. It borders Qilian County to the north and Gangcha County to the west, with an elevation between 3,000 and 3,500 meters. It is a purely pastoral township primarily inhabited by Tibetans. The total area of the township is 117,800 hectares, including 79,700 hectares of grassland. There are 4 administrative villages, 894 households, and 3,693 residents, comprising five ethnic groups: Tibetan, Mongolian, Hui, Tu, and Han, with Tibetans accounting for 98.5% of the population. The township has a total of 132,152 livestock. In 2005, the per capita income of farmers and herders was 2,840.37 yuan. … Ganzihe Township Detailed Information++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units