Ruins of the Halakutu City

Ruins of the Halakutu City

The Halakutu City Ruins is a cultural tourism attraction.

Halakutu is located in Halakutu Village, Riyue Township, about 35 kilometers west of Huangyuan County. It lies against the Riyue Mountains to the north, faces the Wild Buffalo Mountains to the south, looks afar to the Watershed Ridge to the east, and neighbors Shibu City to the north, forming a mutually strategic position. It is relatively large in scale. According to historical records, it served as a garrison site and was the military stronghold of the area. After the Republic of China period, it was simply referred to as Hacheng. In June 1993, the Huangyuan County government designated it as a county-level cultural relics protection unit.

The city site is built on the eastern slope of an independent small hill, guarding the Riyue Mountains and the upper reaches of the Yaoshui River, with a strategically perilous terrain. The city wall has a circumference of 228 zhang (approximately 760 meters), covering an area of 40,000 square meters. It is built along the mountain, higher in the west and lower in the east, constructed from rammed earth. Its shape and layout form a regular diamond pattern, which is very standardized and extremely rare in our province. Except for the eastern wall, which has been demolished, the other walls still stand firmly, with watchtowers set at each of the four corners. There is one gate each on the east and west sides, both equipped with barbicans. The western barbican’s gate opens to the south, being flat and relatively wide, while the eastern barbican’s gate opens to the north, facilitating control over the north-south passage and advantageous for both attack and defense. Inside the city, there are remains of five structures, including training grounds and large and small drill fields. Other remains include ash layers, hearth pits, pottery, porcelain, and broken bricks and tiles. Coins such as the Tang Dynasty Kaiyuan Tongbao, Song Dynasty Tianxi Tongbao, and Qing Dynasty Kangxi Tongbao have been unearthed here.

According to the *Dan’erguan Zhi* (Annals of Dan’erguan), the city was built in the fourth year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1739) and completed in the fifth year (1740), with a garrison commander stationed there. Based on survey data, the northern city wall shows signs of having been built twice. The lower layer was rammed in a manner similar to that of the Tang Dynasty, suggesting that a city may have existed here before the Qing construction.

In the third year of the Qianlong reign (1738), the Qing government added one garrison commander and one lieutenant to the Dan’erguan Camp, stationed in Halakutu, under the jurisdiction of the Dan’erguan Regional Commander. The garrison consisted of 100 cavalry soldiers and 100 infantry soldiers. This military deployment affirmed Halakutu’s status as a frontier pass. In the fifth year of Qianlong (1740), based on a proposal submitted by Lang A, Grand Secretary and Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi, eight additional camps and fortresses including Halakutu were established. The Halakutu Camp housed 143 soldiers and one captain. It had jurisdiction over the Riyue Mountain Post, the Wubotu Card Post, and the Tiemianku Card Post. After the twelfth year of Qianlong, aside from additions, reductions, and relocations, by the fiftieth year, the remaining cavalry and infantry forces still maintained a count of 143 soldiers. In the third year of Daoguang (1823), considering Halakutu as the foremost strategic point inside the frontier, the Qing government transferred the garrison commander of Zhennan Fort to Halakutu, while the captain of the Halakutu Camp was moved to Zhennan Fort. An additional 24 cavalry soldiers, 38 infantry soldiers, and 37 garrison soldiers were allocated from Zhennan Fort. Later, due to reductions, disbandments, and pauses in recruitment, the number of stationed troops fluctuated. In the third year of the Republic of China (1914), the Halakutu Camp was disbanded.

Although called a city, there were no civilian houses or residents within. Entering through the eastern gate, what lies straight ahead is the former site of the garrison commander’s office, commonly known as the yamen, where the commander worked. Ascending the steps, on the right is the Temple of the Earth God, further back are the City God Temple and the Jade Emperor Temple, and on the left is the Mountain God Temple, with the Guan Yu Temple further behind, and the Jade Emperor Temple connecting to the western gate. These temples and other structures no longer exist today. Outside the eastern gate, at the foot of the Dragon Mountain, a north-south street was established, once featuring an overstreet tower. It was a bustling commercial district as well as a residential area. In the past, shops lined the north-south street, and the foreign firms and major “xiējiā” (merchant houses) of Huangyuan County all had branch offices here to receive Mongolian and Tibetan merchants and manage livestock trade. Additionally, outside the northeast of the city near the river, there was a military drill ground and horse-training facilities (tàngwō) extending all the way to Moduji Village. Across the river on the mountainside was a material preparation platform, and on the southeast slope of the city was the Yíngpántái (Camp Platform), the site of an ancient military camp.

The Halakutu City site is relatively large in scale, with fairly intact city walls and a diamond-shaped layout, the first of its kind among ancient cities in Qinghai. The city walls, moats, corner bastions, and barbicans are relatively well-preserved. It holds significant importance and historical value for the study of ancient military affairs, urban layout, and the interactions among Mongolian, Tibetan, Han, and other ethnic groups.