Xi'an Prefecture Ancient City

Xi'an Prefecture Ancient City

The Xi'an Prefecture Ancient City is a cultural relic protection unit of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Traveling about 20 kilometers west from Haiyuan County, you will come across the ruins of an ancient city. This is the Xi'an Prefecture Ancient City, historically known as the "throat of Guying and the sash of Gansu-Liang." In the second year of the Yongxi era (985 AD) during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty, the Tianhushan area was occupied by the Western Xia. In 1042, the Western Xia constructed seven magnificent palaces at the foot of Tianhushan (now Huangwan Village), complete with inner government offices, storehouses, and lodgings. Emperor Yuanhao and Lady Moyi held their grand wedding ceremony here. Thereafter, during every peak summer season, Yuanhao and Lady Moyi would indulge in feasting, entertainment, and leisure here. Today, the Xi'an Prefecture city lies in ruins, with the northern wall largely collapsed, leaving only earthen mounds seven or eight feet high. The southern part of the city remains relatively well-preserved, and traces of the ancient moat can still be seen around the perimeter.