Site of Shengwei City

Site of Shengwei City

The Site of Shengwei City is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The ruins of Shengwei City are located in Miaotai Township, Huinong District, Shizuishan City. The remaining city site is roughly square in shape, with walls made of rammed earth. The remaining walls stand 2–4 meters high and have a base width of 13 meters. The northern wall is 588 meters long, the southern wall 587 meters, the eastern wall 593 meters, and the western wall 590 meters. There is one gate on the southern wall, which has only a single gateway 13 meters long and about 4 meters thick. On both sides of the gateway passage, there is a layer of long stone slabs, with four circular stone column bases on top. In the middle of the gateway passage, there is a stone threshold 0.3 meters above the ground, flanked by two stone door supports with grooves for installing door frames. At the highest point of the site stands a beacon tower over 4 meters tall.

According to historical records, a major earthquake once struck this area, causing the entire city to sink underground, with only an old man and a young person drawing water outside surviving. Now, only fragmented ruins remain of Shengwei City. After a thousand years of weathering, the walls have become shorter and more broken. The eastern wall has been completely altered, leveled to make way for houses and courtyards, while the northern and southern walls are relatively well preserved. Locals repurposed sections of the walls as brick kilns using locally sourced materials. Though the kilns have been abandoned, the red bricks left indelible scars on the city... The walls are now riddled with holes and in a state of disrepair. Traces of irrigation ditches can still be seen within the city, indicating that the site was once developed for farmland.

Archaeologists excavating the Shengwei City ruins unearthed a large number of artifacts, including ancient coins, ceramics, and ironware. Notably, a porcelain head of a shaven-headed figure was also discovered. Since Emperor Li Yuanhao ordered the shaving of heads as early as 1033 AD, this artifact is considered particularly precious. Archaeologists also found that apart from a small amount of brick and tile building material at the southern gate site, no bricks or tiles were present in the ruins, suggesting that most residential buildings were made of earth.

As the sun sets, the vast sky is filled with drifting, misty clouds, creating an ethereal and mysterious atmosphere. Within the city, the open land is dotted with watchtowers, resembling stars scattered across the heavens. To the west, the Helan Mountain range looms abruptly, stretching continuously and standing majestically. Bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, the ancient city still appears desolate, weighty, and silent—qualities that add an extra layer of mystery.

Shizuishan City, Ningxia

Miaotai Township: Located east of the southern part of Huinong District, Miaotai Township borders Baofeng Town of Pingluo County to the south, Lihexiang Township of Huinong District to the east, and Weizha Town to the north. It covers an area of 49 square kilometers, with a population of 10,197 people. The township governs 7 administrative villages, 62 villager groups, and 2,466 households. The registered arable land area is 22,321 mu, with a per capita arable land of 2.2 mu. The area is home to the Site of Shengwei City, the north-south extending Heilonggou, and the former government seat, which got its name from a local temple. The terrain is higher in the south and lower in the north, with fertile soil suitable for various crops. The area has a well-developed irrigation and drainage system, unobstructed ditches and roads, and paved road coverage reaching 20 kilometers... More details about Miaotai Township ++

Further reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units