Ruins of the Black City

Ruins of the Black City

The Ruins of the Black City is a cultural tourism attraction.

Introduction The Black City is located about 30 kilometers southeast of Eji'naqi Banner Government Seat (Kubu Town) in Alxa League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Known as Khara-Khoto in Mongolian and “Weifu Army” during the Western Xia Dynasty, it is said to be the ancient capital of the Western Xia known as Heishui City and is part of the Juyan culture. It is now a key cultural relic protection unit of the autonomous region. The Black City became an isolated ruin in the desert by the mid-14th century due to the drying up of its water source. Located near the northern route of the Silk Road — the Juyan North Route — it holds extremely high archaeological value. The Black City area was an important agricultural and pastoral base as well as a frontier fortress for the Western Xia in the western regions. It also served as a key post station on the ancient courier route from the Hexi Corridor to the Lingbei Province during the Yuan Dynasty, and was a large oasis in the desert of the Heishui River basin during both the Western Xia and Yuan periods. Each side of the ancient city wall was approximately 240 meters long. During the Yuan Dynasty, the walls were expanded to 284 meters from north to south and 435 meters from east to west, with one gate on each of the eastern and western sides. The walls were nine meters high, and the General Administration Office was built along the main street near the western gate, with remnants of the southern wall and southern gate still visible today. In the southwestern part of the city, a relatively intact ancient church still remains, featuring a domed worship hall with a roof and wall style similar to that of modern Islamic mosques. On the northwestern corner of the city wall stands a stupa-style tower, with a remaining height of 12 meters, which can be seen from as far as 10 kilometers away across the desert. Near the large earthen pagoda outside the city, there are also two groups of earthen pagodas, with only the bases of the towers remaining. The significance of the Black City lies not only in its exterior but also in the precious relics buried within. Archaeologists have excavated many valuable artifacts from the site.　

Inner Mongolia Alxa