Ruins of the Ancient City of Dalete

Ruins of the Ancient City of Dalete

The ruins of the ancient city of Dalete are a cultural tourism attraction.

The ancient city of Dalete, also known as Dalete Po Chengzi, is located on the northern edge of Po Chengzi Village, about 37 kilometers southeast of Bole City. It sits on a loess terrace at the confluence of the Bortala River and the Daheyanzi River. The entire ancient city is divided into two parts by a dried-up river running from southeast to northwest.

From a geographical standpoint, it historically lay along the middle section of the northern route of the Silk Road in the Western Regions during the Tang Dynasty. To its northeast, it faced the distant Alashankou Pass, providing access to Kazakhstan, Russia, and China’s Tacheng and Altay regions. To its southwest, it connected over the Golden Mountain and Benling Range, through Sailimu Lake and Guozigou Valley, leading to Moon City and the Ili River, ultimately reaching Central Asia. Its strategic location made it a highly contested military stronghold. Preliminary surveys indicate that the existing ruins are divided into eastern and western sections by a dried-up riverbed. The western ruins stretch approximately 500 meters from east to west and up to 400 meters from north to south, covering a total area of about 190,000 square meters. The site consists of an inner and outer city. The southern wall of the outer city runs about 450 meters from east to west, built from rammed earth with layers 10–12 cm thick. The wall base is about 3 meters wide, with the highest remaining section about 3 meters tall. There is a 5-meter-wide gap in the middle section, likely the outer city gate. About 50 meters outside the southern wall lies a 20-meter-wide moat running from west to east, connecting to the river east of the ruins. Near the eastern edge of the gate, remnants of an adobe platform-like structure may have been a watchtower or sentry booth. Most of the western wall has collapsed into broken segments, with only about 30 meters of the northern section remaining, less than one meter high. To the south of the western wall, there are traces of fire damage, believed to be where Song Dynasty troops cooked. The inner city is located in the northwest part of the ruins, with each side roughly 80 meters long, its four sides generally aligned with the cardinal directions. Its structure is similar to the outer city, with remaining walls about 3–5 meters high. The northwestern wall borders the riverbank, while the southern and northern walls show remnants of battlements. The gate faces northeast, with faint traces of a barbican visible.

The eastern ruins are distributed along the riverbank, stretching about 1,000 meters in length and 300 meters in width. This section of the ruins is now largely part of a modern residential area. Only three building foundations remain in the southern part of the site. The northern side of the ruins is a burial ground. In May 1987, local residents unearthed dozens of human skulls and several dozen gold coins while constructing homes.

On the western bank of the riverbed, the western half of the site is surrounded by water on three sides, with standing walls atop the riverbank highlands. The surface is scattered with numerous red earthenware fragments, predominantly from large jar-like vessels. The eastern section features flatter terrain and is also distributed along the riverbank, lacking visible walls. The surface here holds many gray pottery shards, as well as red-bodied ceramic fragments and dark brown glazed bowl and dish pieces, mostly lamp and jar types. Artifacts unearthed include gold, silver, and copper belts, copper tubes, copper boxes, and copper stoves. The largest gold coin weighs 10.5 grams, the smallest 5.1 grams. One gold coin features the place name “Almaliq” in the first line at the center of its obverse, below which is inscribed, “There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of God.” The heaviest silver coin weighs 2.3 grams, and the heaviest copper coin weighs 2.4 grams.

Based on unearthed artifacts, inscriptions, and numismatic evidence, experts preliminarily believe the eastern and western sections of the ancient city belong to two different historical periods. The western riverbank ruins are older and may date back to the Tang Dynasty; some suggest they were the site of the Tang Dynasty's Shuanghe Protectorate. The eastern ruins are more recent, possibly built during the Western Liao period, with remains traceable to the early Ming Dynasty. Some scholars propose that the city was originally unified, later split into two parts due to river erosion, built during the Western Liao era and abandoned by the late Yuan or early Ming Dynasty—a theory still awaiting further verification.

In August 1985, the People’s Government of Bole City issued a notice designating the ancient city as a cultural heritage protection unit and implementing necessary protective measures.

The ancient city ruins transport us back to an era of camel bells and the slow passage of time. Yet, as the ancients said, those who learn from history can understand the rise and fall of civilizations. Gaining insight into the long history of Bortala and uncovering its profound cultural heritage is indeed meaningful. Dear travelers, don’t you agree?

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites