Shuidonggou Cultural Site

Shuidonggou Cultural Site

The Shuidonggou Cultural Site is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction and a major historical and cultural site protected at the national level.

The Shuidonggou site is a sacred place where ancient humans thrived 30,000 years ago. In 1923, French paleontologists Teilhard de Chardin and Émile Licent discovered a prehistoric cultural site here. Through excavation, a large number of stone tools and animal fossils were unearthed, making Shuidonggou China's earliest discovered Paleolithic human cultural site. In 1988, it was designated as a "Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level" by the State Council and is hailed as the "birthplace of prehistoric archaeology in China." It serves as a testament to East-West cultural exchange, characterized by its "global significance," "uniqueness," and "educational value."

The Shuidonggou site records the history of ancient humans thriving and battling nature, containing rich and precious prehistoric data. It showcases the survival story of ancient humans 30,000 years ago and is the only formally excavated Paleolithic site in China's Yellow River region to date. Over 80 years and six archaeological excavations, more than 30,000 stone tools and 67 ancient animal fossils have been unearthed at Shuidonggou. Some of the stone artifacts, tools, and production techniques foundational to Shuidonggou culture rival those found in the Mousterian and Aurignacian periods of human settlements in Europe, West Asia, and North Africa. Notably, a large number of Levallois stone cores resemble those from the ancient Aurignacian culture of Europe. Foreign archaeology experts attribute this cultural similarity across distant regions to the "assimilative influence of long-distance human migration." The culture represented by the Shuidonggou site holds significant importance in explaining the origins of regional stone tool traditions, the discovery and variation of ancient cultures, and the migration, spread, and exchange of Late Pleistocene humans in Northeast Asia. It is also of great significance for comparative studies of East-West cultures from over 30,000 years ago.

The Shuidonggou area is also a grand showcase of military defense architecture from the Ming Dynasty in northern China, including the ancient Great Wall, beacon towers, fortresses, trenches, and watchtowers. Within the protected area, the meandering eastern Great Wall, towering watchtowers, quaint and mysterious fortresses, and winding, deep trenches are a feast for the eyes, evoking visions of the heroic scenes of "armored soldiers charging battle forts with spears, generals drawing swords to pursue barbarian troops."

Located on the southern edge of the Ordos Plateau, Shuidonggou features naturally formed Yardang landforms that exude a majestic and peculiar desolate valley charm. Sculpted by wind and sand over millions of years, the area boasts over 20 unique earthen forest landscapes, such as Devil’s City, Camel Ridge, Sky-Scraping Cliff, Broken Cloud Valley, and Weird Willow Gully, inspiring awe and a sense of ancient mystery.

Shuidonggou is China's earliest excavated Paleolithic cultural site, hailed as the "birthplace of prehistoric archaeology in China" and a "historical testament to East-West cultural exchange." It has been listed by the state as one of the "100 Archaeological Discoveries Most Significant to Chinese Civilization." It is a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction, and a national geopark. It has won the Silver Award for "50 Places in China Most Worth Visiting for Foreigners."

Unique Yardang landforms have magically created over 20 extraordinary landscapes, such as Devil’s City, Whirlwind Cave, Camel Ridge, Sky-Scraping Cliff, Broken Cloud Valley, and Weird Willow Gully, recording the continuous activity of humans over the past 30,000 years and infusing the area with a profound, majestic ancient charm. The ancient, multi-layered Great Wall defense system, consisting of the "Hengcheng Outer Wall," beacon towers, fortresses, and hidden troop caves, forms China's only most completely preserved military defense architectural spectacle.

Explore prehistoric sites, walk along the Great Wall waterfront, traverse earthen forest canyons, view borderland fortresses, and tour hidden troop caves. Shuidonggou — a must-visit destination for travelers from China and abroad.

Shuidonggou is China's earliest excavated Paleolithic site, a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, a national AAAAA-level scenic spot, and a national geopark. It is hailed as the "birthplace of prehistoric archaeology in China" and a "historical testament to East-West cultural exchange." It has been listed as one of the 100 major archaeological sites in China and jointly selected by National Geographic and Chinese Heritage magazines as one of China's "100 Archaeological Discoveries Most Significant to Chinese Civilization." Shuidonggou is also a grand showcase of Ming Dynasty military defense architecture, including the Great Wall, beacon towers, fortresses, trenches, hidden troop caves, grand canyons, and watchtowers, representing China's only most completely preserved three-dimensional Great Wall military defense system.

Shuidonggou is 19 kilometers from Yinchuan, the provincial capital, and just a 15-minute drive from the airport. The Yin-Qing Expressway and its auxiliary road pass through the scenic area, providing convenient transportation and the advantage of being close to the city yet away from the hustle and bustle. Many visitors say that after traveling all over China, it is Ningxia’s Shuidonggou that left them in awe — a truly magical place where every step reveals a unique scene, whether primitive, simple, and pure; desolate, bizarre, and lonely; beautiful, serene, leisurely, and tranquil; or steep, spectacular, mysterious, and thrilling. Even Du Yili, Deputy Director of the National Tourism Administration, remarked after visiting: "I heard Shuidonggou is a cultural site, but I never expected 'every step to have highlights and every corner to have thrills.' The beauty of Shuidonggou seems naturally unadorned, yet it is the result of much thought and wisdom, emphasizing harmony with the surrounding landscape — both aesthetic and rustic. To create an ancient atmosphere, the color scheme of Shuidonggou’s buildings consists of varying shades of earthy, stony, and wooden tones. The bridges are stone-and-wood arch bridges and small wooden bridges with flowing water, together with the blue sky, light clouds, clear water, cliffs, reeds, mandarin ducks, and wild ducks, forming a peaceful and idyllic paradise."

If culture is the soul of Shuidonggou, then innovation is the driving force behind its development. While many heritage sites exist, Shuidonggou uniquely integrates artistic, literary, and high-tech innovative elements into the traditional museum experience. The Shuidonggou Site Museum uses 270-degree ultra-large semi-scene paintings, live-action settings, and holographic imaging, combined with cutting-edge sound, light, electricity, and adjustable earthquake platforms, to authentically recreate the harmonious fishing, hunting, and stone-tool-making life of ancient humans 30,000 years ago, as well as the breathtaking scenes of torrential rain, floods, and earthquakes. The stunning realism of these scenes is awe-inspiring, and the artistic design quickly immerses visitors in the life of 30,000 years ago. Though 30,000 years may seem distant, time becomes irrelevant at the Shuidonggou Museum. High technology enables an instant journey back in time. It pioneers a new form of museum exhibition in China and is currently the country’s only and largest indoor interactive motion experience exhibition hall, becoming a major highlight of Shuidonggou.

The magic of Shuidonggou also lies in its dual role as both a home to ancient humans 30,000 years ago and an important military defense stronghold of the Ming Dynasty. While there are many places with the Great Wall in China, Shuidonggou uniquely combines the Great Wall, trenches, fortresses, a steep grand canyon, and hidden troop caves carved into the canyon cliffs into a comprehensive three-dimensional military defense system. The vast and ingeniously designed hidden troop caves, spread across the canyon cliffs, feature complete facilities such as tunnels, traps, hidden weapons, watchtowers, armories, wells, generals’ rest areas, meeting halls, and kitchens. Here, you can immerse yourself in the thrill and excitement of Ming Dynasty tunnel warfare, experiencing the cruelty of war and the ingenuity of Ming soldiers up close, greatly satisfying visitors' curiosity and thirst for knowledge. It has become another major highlight of Shuidonggou.

The transportation in Shuidonggou is also quite unique. Visitors can take boats, donkey carts, or camel carts, enjoying a leisurely experience. When traveling in Shuidonggou, you’ll forget the noise of the city and the clutter of the mind, letting time flow by. Beautiful, bright, serene, leisurely, tranquil, and harmonious, Shuidonggou — beyond the city and countryside — is truly a paradise for visitors to unwind and enjoy freedom. Half a day in the scenic area takes you from 30,000 years ago to 500 years ago; from prehistoric culture to borderland military culture; from earthen forest landscapes to high gorges and calm lakes; from desert frontiers to Jiangnan-style scenery — truly magical.

Shuidonggou Tourist Area

The Shuidonggou Site Museum, located at the foot of the Ming Great Wall in Linhe Town, Lingwu, Yinchuan, Ningxia, is 24 kilometers from Yinchuan and 11 kilometers from Hedong Airport, with a construction area of 4,308 square meters. The architectural design is inspired by the most distinctive Mousterian flake tools from the Shuidonggou Paleolithic cultural materials, using the earthy yellow tone of stone tools and the site environment as the base color, with an appearance modeled after stone tools. It is the only theme museum in western China dedicated to showcasing the Paleolithic era.

The main feature of the Shuidonggou Site Museum is the integration of artistic, literary, and high-tech innovative elements into the traditional museum format. Using large-scale bas-reliefs, 270-degree semi-scene paintings, animations, holographic imaging, live settings, and physical objects, combined with cutting-edge sound, light, electricity, and adjustable earthquake platforms, it authentically recreates the harmonious production and living scenes of ancient humans 30,000 years ago, such as stone tool-making, rituals, fishing, and hunting, as well as the shocking scenes of disasters. It pioneers the display format of Chinese museums and has been recognized as China’s most advanced exhibition hall, earning unanimous acclaim from experts worldwide.

The museum is divided into an above-ground loop corridor exhibition area and a sunken exhibition area. The 120-meter loop corridor is sequentially designed into five units: Introduction, Human Evolution History, China’s Paleolithic Sites, The Shuidonggou Cultural Site in Ningxia, and Conclusion. The focus is on the Shuidonggou Cultural Site in Ningxia unit, which includes nine parts: the geographical overview of Shuidonggou, the geological structure of the site, the paleoenvironmental characteristics of Shuidonggou, the discovery of the Shuidonggou site, the distribution map of the site, the five excavations of Shuidonggou, the excavation results of the Shuidonggou site, research on the Shuidonggou site, and the production and living scenes of the Shuidonggou people.

In terms of exhibition format, it breaks away from the conventional method of displaying artifacts solely in showcases, incorporating a variety of methods such as artifacts, charts, sculptures, oil paintings, scene reconstructions, earthquake platforms, flash floods, sand tables, multimedia displays, and visitor interaction, extensively adopting the latest international scientific achievements, especially digital and multimedia technologies, to enhance the overall exhibition effect.

To guide and attract more visitors to explore 30,000 years, understand Shuidonggou, and popularize Shuidonggou culture, the museum emphasizes a "people-oriented" and "accessible to all" philosophy, integrating academic, professional, educational, aesthetic, and experiential elements, with a particular focus on experiential learning.

The world-renowned Shuidonggou site, as one of China’s earliest systematically excavated and studied Paleolithic cultural sites, has involved the dedication of archaeologists from China and abroad since its discovery and excavation by French paleontologists Teilhard de Chardin and Émile Licet in 1923, as well as the quiet contributions of ordinary people. Eighty-four years ago, when archaeologists focused their attention on Shuidonggou, it became connected to the "Zhang San Xiaodian" inn, which had no direct relation to the Shuidonggou site.

The predecessor of Zhang San Xiaodian was a horse and carriage inn run by Zhang San’s father, Zhang Tianyi. The inn was about 500 meters north of the Shuidonggou site, located on the essential route between Yinchuan, Ningxia, and Inner Mongolia or northern Shaanxi. At the time, the inn was quite large, with seven main rooms and five rooms on each of the east and west sides. Travelers from east to west would cross the Yellow River at the Hengcheng Ferry and mostly stay at the inn by evening. When Zhang Tianyi ran the inn, business was booming, and the family lived comfortably. However, with the completion of the Yin-Ling Highway, fewer travelers passed through Shuidonggou, and the inn’s business declined. Most of the original building was demolished, the horse and carriage inn became a smaller shop, and it was taken over by Zhang San alone, hence the name "Zhang San Xiaodian."

In 2006, "Zhang San Xiaodian" was restored, and busts of Teilhard de Chardin, Émile Licent, Chinese archaeologists Pei Wenzhong, and Jia Lanpo — who made outstanding contributions to the excavation and research of the Shuidonggou cultural site in the 1920s and later — were created to commemorate them. At the same time, the restoration of "Zhang San Xiaodian" also honors farmer Zhang San and his world-famous little shop for their contributions to the excavation of the Shuidonggou cultural site.

Shuidonggou Village is an ancient pit-dwelling settlement site. In the old Shuidonggou Village, the cave, pit, semi-pit, and shallow pit dwellings created by northern ancestors are preserved. These dwellings, passed down from the Neolithic Age, were often built on slopes or gully banks with thick loess layers, offering the advantage of being warm in winter and cool in summer.

Shuidonggou Village has inherited this ancient way of living. On loess slopes, a certain depth of pit is first dug, then short walls are built around the pit edges with adobe bricks to raise them above ground level. Beams and wooden rafters are used for the roof, covered with thatch, and sealed with mud to prevent leaks. This type of dwelling is extremely affordable and was the best choice for ancient human habitation. Commonly referred to as "diwozi" or "diyinzi" by locals in northern China, it originated in the underdeveloped ancient era, coexisted with humans for thousands of years, and was gradually abandoned by the 1960s, eventually disappearing from history.

The Shuidonggou Village settlement includes 29 pit-dwelling ruins, and the scenic area has restored some of these dwellings so visitors can directly observe the living forms of ancient people.

Ningxia is known as the "Museum of the Great Wall." Lingwu, the ancient site of Lingzhou, has always been a strategic stronghold for central dynasties guarding the northwest frontier. For military defense, rulers of the Qin, Han, Sui, and Ming dynasties all built sections of the Great Wall in Lingzhou and stationed troops and migrants there. Among them, the Ming Dynasty Great Wall in Lingwu is the best preserved and most majestic. Starting from the west at the Yellow River bank of Hengcheng Fort, it resembles a giant dragon drinking from the river, crossing the sand sea, traversing hills and plains, and stretching eastward across the vast Ordos Plateau.

The Ming Dynasty Great Wall in Lingwu stretches from west to east across Linhe Town and Ningdong Town in our city, exiting Majiatan Town and entering Yanchi County. Historically, it has been called the "East of the River Wall," also known as the "Eastern Outer Wall" or "Hengcheng Outer Wall."

The Lingwu Ming Great Wall was built in 1474 AD. It starts from the northern bank of the Yellow River at Hengcheng in the west, extends southeastward, passes through places such as Shuidonggou, Hongshanbao, and Qingshuicheng Ancient Fort across the city, continues through Yanchi County to ZhouTaizi Township in Dingbian, Shaanxi, with a total length of about 200 kilometers, of which 45 kilometers lie within Lingwu. According to historical records, two sections of the Great Wall were built in Lingwu: one during the Sui Dynasty and the other during the Ming Dynasty, both constructed using locally sourced materials and rammed earth.

According to the "Book of Sui: Biography of Cui Zhongfang," in the fifth year of the Kaihuang era (585 AD) under Emperor Wen of Sui, “Cui Zhongfang, Vice Minister of Agriculture, was ordered to mobilize 30,000 laborers to build the Great Wall in Lingwu, Shuofang. It stretched west to the Yellow River and east to Suide, covering a distance of 700 li to block incursions by nomadic tribes.” During the Ming Dynasty, to defend against invasions by the Tatars and Wala tribes, the court extensively repaired and expanded the Great Wall on the foundation of the Sui-era wall. The Ming Great Wall was referred to as the "Frontier Wall." Historical records state that in the eighth year of the Chenghua era (1472 AD), Yu Zilong, the provincial governor and Right Vice Censor, initiated the project. In the tenth year of Chenghua (1474 AD), Wang Yue, who oversaw the defense of the three frontiers—Yanbian, Gansu, and Ningxia—urged its continuation. In the intercalary sixth month, under the supervision of Xu Tingzhang, Governor of Ningxia, and Fan Jin, Commander-in-Chief, the initial phase of connecting the entire Great Wall was completed. In October of the tenth year of Chenghua, an earthquake in Lingzhou, Ningxia, caused about one-tenth to one-fifth of the Frontier Wall to collapse.

In the fifteenth year of Chenghua (1479 AD), repairs were made and certain sections were heightened, thickened, and rebuilt from the Yellow River at Hengcheng to Huamachi. During the Hongzhi era, Zhang Zhenshu and Wang (names incomplete), successive Governors of Ningxia, dug over 44,000 “品”-shaped pits outside the wall to prevent enemy cavalry from approaching. In the area around Heishuigou at Hongshanbao, the trenches were two zhang deep and wide. In the first year of Zhengde (1506 AD), during an inspection of Xia and Sui, plans were proposed to rebuild the Hedong Wall, and soon after, Yang Yiqing, the Commander of the Three Frontiers, requested approval for reconstruction.

In the tenth year of Jiajing (1531 AD), under the responsibility of Wang Qiong, Commander of the Three Frontiers, the “Deep Trenches and High Ramparts” were reconstructed from the Yellow River at Hengcheng in the west to Huamachi in the east, spanning a total length of 360 li. The original Frontier Wall east of Xingwuying was abandoned, and a new wall 54 li long was built ten li to the south, called the “First Frontier Wall,” while the old wall became the “Second Frontier Wall.” The Ming Great Wall, along with nearby garrison forts, formed an effective military defense system against foreign invasions, playing a significant role in military defense at the time. Taking Hongshanbao as an example, here the Great Wall, garrison fort, and troop-hiding caves formed a three-in-one, three-dimensional military defense system capable of attack, defense, and concealment—an innovation in ancient Chinese military defense.

As a military barrier, the Ming Great Wall had a highly complete structure and defensive facilities. After the construction of the Hedong Wall, four gate passes were established. To the east of Huamachi Camp, the Great Wall Pass served as the most crucial point, featuring a towering multi-tiered tower inscribed with relief carvings such as “Natural Moat of Shuofang” and “Eagle-eyed Watch.” A gate pass was also built at Qingshuicheng, all equipped with watchtowers offering commanding views. To the west, the Ninghe Platform was constructed to protect the river crossing and guard the Great Wall. The Great Wall was outfitted with military structures such as enemy towers, wall platforms, and beacon towers. Every 100 to 200 meters, protruding wall platforms were built to eliminate blind spots at the base of the wall, enabling flanking attacks. Enemy towers stood higher than the wall, allowing soldiers to see left and right, front and back.

In some perilous sections, circular enemy towers housed up to 20 soldiers. A total of 29 fortified towns were built along the inner side of the Hedong Wall. The Lingwu Camp had 113 beacon towers spaced five li apart. At night, fires were lit; during the day, smoke signals were raised. If a few to a hundred enemies were spotted, one beacon fire and one cannon shot were fired; for 500 enemies, two of each; for 1,000, three; for over 5,000, four; and for over 10,000, five. Each tower was manned by a watchman equipped with flags, drums, ladders, stones, rockets, wolf dung, cow dung, firewood, and more. Soldiers kept watch day and night, with heavy military presence in camps along the line, fully stocked with provisions, weapons, and supplies. Surveillance, patrols, communication, and troop deployment were all managed without neglect, maintaining constant military readiness.

The high, solid walls of the Ming Great Wall, the versatile enemy and wall platforms, the garrison forts, the alarm beacon towers, and the impregnable gate forts together formed a comprehensive and tight military defense line.

The so-called troop-hiding caves were underground passages used by the garrison of Hongshanbao to move from above ground to below, concealing troops to protect themselves, await opportunities for attack, or set ambushes in open areas (divided into No. 1 Troop-Hiding Cave excavated in 2006 and No. 2 Troop-Hiding Cave excavated on September 20, 2012). This is the only well-preserved ancient three-dimensional military defense system in China. Within China’s Great Wall defense system, nowhere else features the Great Wall, forts, and underground troop-hiding caves so closely interconnected—it is truly unique.

The troop-hiding caves now before you are among China’s earliest sites and prototypes of tunnel warfare. If the tunnel warfare of the Eighth Route Army and guerrillas during the Anti-Japanese War struck terror into the hearts of the enemy, we can imagine that over 500 years ago, the border guards of the Ming Dynasty also used similar wisdom and bravery to keep invaders beyond the Great Wall.

In the past, due to lack of development, there were no conditions for cave tours. People only knew that the “troop-hiding caves” had winding paths like a maze, with parts of the ceiling collapsed and many areas buried by soil. The caves contained traps, possibly even snakes and scorpions, so people rarely ventured far inside. What lay within was unclear, making the “troop-hiding caves” a mysterious and intimidating place. Today, we can safely explore them, but must follow the signs to avoid getting lost or trapped.

The troop-hiding caves twist and turn through the cliffs, connected vertically and horizontally, with numerous forks, looping endlessly like a maze. Those unfamiliar with the cave layout would find it hard to escape. Aside from the main passages, the caves have side chambers that could serve as living quarters, likely reserved for commanders. There are also grain storage rooms, wells, and kitchens. With sufficient food stored, the hidden troops could survive for a period without exiting. Being over 10 meters above the valley floor, the caves were safe from flooding. Even during mountain floods over the years, the caves remained dry. The ingenuity of the ancients is truly astounding.

Since 2006, we have carried out protective cleaning and clearing of the troop-hiding caves. Currently, the section open for tours is 965 meters long, with a cleared area of about 3,200 square meters, but this is not the entire extent. Surveys indicate that the total length of the caves on both sides of the canyon is about 3 kilometers, with further clearing needed. For the cleared sections, we have reinforced the cave walls and collapsed ceilings with protective measures.

Upon entering the troop-hiding caves, you’ll notice small niches on the walls where ancient people placed oil lamps for illumination. During cleaning, we often found broken pottery shards in these niches, likely from oil lamps. On the ground, we also collected many Ming Dynasty fragments, probably remnants of the daily items used by the soldiers. More importantly, in the armory and main hall of the caves, you can see ancient weapons such as swords, spears, halberds, daggers, quivers, as well as unearthed military artifacts like helmets and shields. For many young visitors, these may be sights seen for the first time. The food and vegetable samples displayed in the niches are remains from the Ming soldiers, dating back nearly 500 years—truly rare relics.

The construction of the troop-hiding caves was ingenious—so what was their purpose? During the Ming Dynasty, the Tatars and Wala tribes settled in the Hetao region, and the Lingzhou stretch of the Great Wall was the northernmost defensive line for the Ming in Ningxia and surrounding areas. The flat terrain around Hongshanbao allowed enemy cavalry to deploy en masse, making it a prime target for their southern invasions. The Tatars aimed mainly to loot people and wealth before retreating quickly. However, by the mid-Ming period, the Great Wall had become a purely passive defense. The Tatars and Wala repeatedly breached the wall between Lingzhou and Yanzhou, raiding Lingzhou and Ningxia (now Yinchuan), then withdrawing north. Yet they never attacked through Hongshanbao—the three-dimensional defenses, including the troop-hiding caves, played a major role.

Historical records indicate that the Tatars and Wala repeatedly breached the wall between Lingzhou and Yanzhou, raiding Lingzhou and Ningxia (now Yinchuan), then returning north—but never attacked Hongshanbao. This may be related to the significant military role played by the troop-hiding caves and other defenses.

Hongshanbao got its name from its location in the Hongshan area. Historical records say that in ancient times, under the setting sun, the mountains here appeared bright red, hence named “Hongshan” (Red Mountain), later misheard as “Hengshan” (Transverse Mountain), and thus “Hongshanbao” (Red Mountain Fort) was also once called “Hengshanbao” (Transverse Mountain Fort). It was a fortified town in the Ming Great Wall defense system, initially built in the 16th year of the Hongzhi era (1503 AD) by Qin Hua, Minister of Revenue and Commander of Shaanxi Military Affairs, and has a history of over 500 years.

Hongshanbao is a garrison town adjacent to the Ming Great Wall to the north, built by Shi Yong, the Ningxia Regional Commander. It stretches fifty li east from Qingshuicheng to twenty li west of Hongshanbao. The fort housed 251 soldiers, with one fort commander, one garrison officer, and eight beacon towers (fenghao) overseeing about 30 li of the Great Wall. In peacetime, Hongshanbao served as a hub for trade and cultural exchange between the ethnic groups inside and outside the Great Wall. Though damaged by war and time, its walls remain largely intact and imposing.

Although the barbican gate of Hongshanbao has been buried by windblown sand, its grand structure still stands firmly on the earthen mound. Inside the fort, the foundations of original houses can still be seen. By Ming military standards, with five soldiers per barracks, Hongshanbao might have had over 50 buildings. At the northwest corner of the fort, a large pile of broken bricks and building components suggests the site of the commander’s residence, which may have been a high-end, imposing structure before being damaged.

Hongshanbao is a garrison town adjacent to the Ming Great Wall to the north. Historical records state it was built in the 16th year of the Zhengde era (1521 AD) [Note: likely a typo for 1506 or 1521], constructed by Shi Yong, the Ningxia Regional Commander. It stretches fifty li east from Qingshuicheng to twenty li west of Hongshanbao. The fort housed 251 soldiers, with one fort commander, one garrison officer, and eight beacon towers watching over about 30 li of the Great Wall.

In peacetime, Hongshanbao was a hub for trade and cultural exchange between the ethnic groups inside and outside the Great Wall. Though damaged by war and time, its walls remain largely intact and imposing. Although the barbican gate has been buried by windblown sand, its grand structure still stands firmly on the earthen mound. Inside the fort, the foundations of original houses can still be seen. By Ming military standards, with five soldiers per barracks, Hongshanbao might have had over 50 buildings. At the northwest corner of the fort, a large pile of broken bricks and building components suggests the site of the commander’s residence, which may have been a high-end, imposing structure before being damaged.

The initial establishment of forts like Hongshanbao had two main purposes: first, to strengthen the defense along the Great Wall (as discussed regarding the troop-hiding caves); second, to “guard against autumn incursions.” The practice of “autumn defense” dates back to ancient times. By the Ming Dynasty, the Tatars and Wala, following the traditions of nomadic tribes like the Turks, often launched large-scale southern invasions in autumn when their horses were strong and grass abundant—coinciding with the harvest season for farming communities. Thus, from the Sui and Tang Dynasties to the Ming, armies were deployed to guard the borders during this period to protect the harvest, hence the term “autumn defense.”

At the base of the Great Wall north of Hongshanbao and other forts, there were usually “hidden gates” (small arched gates similar to city gates) allowing passage between the inner and outer sides of the wall, guarded and operated according to regulations. Additionally, the Ming built a beacon tower every five li along the inner side of the Great Wall. Hongshanbao had four such towers: Anbian Tower, Daying Tower (where the Great Wall featured a “hidden gate”), Zhenluo Tower, and Ya’er Tower. These beacon towers, also called smoke towers or signal towers, were built of rammed earth. They were used for military alarms—smoke by day, fire by night, relayed in sequence to quickly transmit messages to towns or prefectures. This ancient signaling method is hailed as “the world’s earliest wireless communication.”

A decree from the second year of the Chenghua era (1466 AD) stated: “Smoke towers and their watchmen must be regularly inspected and maintained. Sufficient firewood must be stockpiled, and shifts must watch day and night. In case of emergency, smoke by day and fire by night must be used to relay warnings without fail… Those who report accurately shall be rewarded; those who fail shall face military punishment.” Each tower typically had three soldiers on duty in shifts. For message relaying, the decree specified: “When enemies are sighted—whether one or two to a hundred, sound one beacon and fire one cannon; for 500, two of each; for over 1,000, three; for over 5,000, four; for over 10,000, five.” Each beacon tower was equipped with flags, drums, ladders, stones, rockets, wolf dung, cow dung, and firewood.

The Great Wall in Ningxia is not only numerous but also widely distributed. Based on historical documents and construction techniques, experts have determined that the Great Wall was built or utilized here from the Warring States period through the Ming Dynasty, earning Ningxia the title “China’s Great Wall Museum.”

To better showcase Ningxia’s Great Wall culture, the Ningxia Great Wall Museum was established within Hongshanbao in the Shuidonggou scenic area, where the eastern section of the Ming Great Wall is relatively well-preserved. The museum covers 2,200 square meters, designed in the traditional architectural style of fort villages in northwest Ningxia, with a single-story, two-courtyard layout. It displays the rise and fall of the Great Wall, its architecture, garrison life, battles, management, and cultural exchanges through photos, models, paintings, and more, highlighting the features and evolution of the Great Wall in Ningxia through the ages.

Address: Linghe Town, Lingwu City, Yinchuan, Ningxia

Type: Cave, Historic Site, Museum, Military

Rating: AAAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 1 day

Phone: 0951-5014338

Official website: http://www.shuidonggou.com/

Opening hours: 8:00–18:00

Further reading:

·Batch 28 of National 5A-Level Tourist Attractions (July 2015)