Soren River Valley

Soren River Valley

“Soren” is a Manchu word meaning “hunting ground” in Chinese. In the late 17th century, Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty visited this area during a northern tour. He was struck by the majestic landscape shrouded in auspicious mist, where towering mountains encircled an oval basin and three river ribbons meandered gently. Birds and beasts often appeared within the forested river valley — a true geomantic treasure. Thus, he designated this place as an imperial hunting ground and stationed troops here. The name “Soren” has been passed down ever since.

The vast and mysterious Soren River Valley is not only famous for the movie *Gunshots in the Soren River Valley*, but also attracts attention due to the many cliff inscriptions found within its basin. One of the more well-known is the Biqigetai Cliff Inscription, located at the northern foot of the West Mountain Gorge, 5 kilometers north of the Temen Ranch. The ink inscription is carved on a very prominent large rock cliff, about 2 meters above the ground, featuring three different scripts. Another widely recognized inscription is the Arder Lama Cave Cliff Inscription, where one can clearly see the image of a lama, a sika deer, and inscriptions. It is widely known across the banner. This area was also once the battlefield where Mongolian cavalry galloped thousands of miles. A sacred golden decree seal, sealed for over 700 years, was discovered and unearthed here, causing a huge stir in the field of Mongolian archaeology — it is a golden decree seal inscribed with 'Phags-pa script, conveying the supreme will of the Yuan Dynasty emperor. The inscription on this golden decree seal means: The supreme emperor of the Great Yuan swears before Eternal Heaven that anyone who disobeys or violates the decree shall be put to death. This golden decree seal was actually a token given by the Yuan emperor to those delivering his decrees. To date, only two silver decree plaques from the Yuan Dynasty have been discovered in the world — one is housed in a museum in a city in Siberia, Russia, and the other is preserved in the Hohhot Museum, where it is considered the museum’s prized treasure. However, a golden decree plaque from the Yuan Dynasty had never been found before. This golden plaque far surpasses all previous similar artifacts in both material and specifications. Experts believe that the discovery of this Phags-pa script golden decree plaque from the Yuan Dynasty is extremely precious, providing important material for the study of Mongol-Yuan history and the historical culture of the Mongolian people.