The Ancient City of Danggar

The Ancient City of Danggar

The Ancient City of Danggar is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural tourism destination.

The Ancient City of Danggar in Huangyuan, Qinghai, is known as the "Throat of the Sea and Tibet" and the "Tea-Horse Trade Capital." Danggar is a Mongolian transliteration of the Tibetan word "Dongke," meaning "white conch shell." Located on the north bank of the Yellow River, by the shores of Xihai (West Sea), at the source of the Huangshui River, it lies 40 kilometers from Xining. Here, the Loess Plateau meets the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, where farming culture intersects with grassland culture, the ancient Tang-Tibet Road crosses the Southern Silk Road, and numerous ethnic groups gather. It has long been celebrated as the "Throat of the Sea and Tibet," the "Tea-Horse Trade Capital," and the "Little Beijing."

Since the Western Han Dynasty, Danggar has been a key hub for commerce. During the Tang Dynasty, the first "tea-horse trade market" on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was established at the foot of today’s Riyue Mountain between the Tang Empire and the Tibetan Empire. By 1924, commercial trade had reached its peak, with merchants thronging the city and trade flourishing. The Ancient City of Danggar is also a religious sanctuary. Over time, with the development of commerce and cultural exchanges among various ethnic groups, numerous temples were built within the city, including the City God Temple, Golden Buddha Temple, Fire God Pavilion, Jade Emperor Temple, Guan Yu Temple, God of Wealth Temple, the group of temples on Beiji Mountain, and the Mosque. These grand structures feature exquisite murals and vividly showcase the core values of Han culture centered on Confucianism and Taoism, Tibetan culture rooted in Tibetan Buddhism, and Hui culture based on Islam.

The Ancient City of Danggar is also a religious sanctuary. The city takes its name from the renowned Tibetan Buddhist temple, Dongke Monastery. In the fifth year of the Shunzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1648), Dongke Monastery was relocated from Tibet to a site 100 meters east of the ancient city, becoming a widely revered temple in both Qinghai and Tibet. With the growth of commerce and cultural exchanges, many other temples were constructed in the city, such as the City God Temple, Golden Buddha Temple, Fire God Pavilion, Jade Emperor Temple, Guan Yu Temple, God of Wealth Temple, the group of temples on Beiji Mountain, and the Mosque. These buildings are grand in scale, rigorously laid out, exquisitely carved, and adorned with beautiful murals, radiating an air of profound mystery. They also vividly reflect the core values of Han culture centered on Confucianism and Taoism, Tibetan culture rooted in Tibetan Buddhism, and Hui culture based on Islam. The Ancient City of Danggar is also a city of culture, where various ethnic groups converge and blend, and diverse cultures thrive together, forming a unique regional culture. Every tile, brick, door, and window, as well as every courtyard and alley, carries ancient and splendid cultural messages. Moreover, the city preserves numerous poems by famous figures, myths and legends, folk arts such as lanterns, paper-cutting, traditional performing arts, and sheepskin embroidery, along with traditional folk cultural activities like the "Flower Song" gatherings, mountain worship festivals, temple fairs, Buddhist ceremonies, Confucius worship, and sea worship. All of these enrich the city’s deep cultural heritage.