Site of the Ancient City of Xinhure

Site of the Ancient City of Xinhure

The Site of the Ancient City of Xinhure is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Era: Yuan and Ming Dynasties

The Site of the Ancient City of Xinhure is located approximately 1 kilometer northwest of Xinhure Sumu in Urad Middle Banner, Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The ancient city has a square layout, with each side measuring over 950 meters. The city walls were built using rammed earth, with bastions protruding at each corner and crenellations constructed along the walls. There is one gate each in the middle of the southern and eastern walls, both of which are equipped with barbicans. The surface inside and outside the city is scattered with numerous pottery shards and roof tiles. Based on its overall features, it is determined to have been built during the Yuan and Ming periods. This site is large in scale and the city walls are relatively well-preserved, making it one of the most typical ancient city ruins discovered to date, with extremely high value for protection and research.

In May 2013, it was designated and announced as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

The name "City of Surrender" may sound quite ordinary to us today, but in times of war, it signified the dawn of peace — a moment when the victory of one side brought relief from conflict for the people on both sides. The Han Dynasty’s City of Surrender in Urad Middle Banner, Bayannur — the Ancient City of Xinhure — is just such a place. There is a magical legend about this ancient city: at dawn, a layer of mist often covers the city walls, and the crowing of roosters can be heard. It is said that some have witnessed a pair of golden roosters dancing on the walls, while others have seen golden rings glowing within the city. Yet no matter how eagerly explorers pursue these wonders, the miracles always vanish in an instant.

The Ancient City of Xinhure is roughly located in the grasslands of the southern desert, northwest of the Gaogu Pass. Among the historically documented Cities of Surrender since the Western Han Dynasty, it is the only one truly built to accept the surrender of enemies, and it is also a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. Regarding this ancient city, many legends remain vague, but by observing the traces left by history, we can still faintly sense the rise and fall of the once-dominant Xiongnu Dynasty on the frontier.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units