Ruins of the Ancient Huaishuo Town

Ruins of the Ancient Huaishuo Town

The ruins of the ancient Huaishuo Town are a cultural tourism attraction.

Ruins of the Ancient Huaishuo Town

The ruins of the ancient Huaishuo Town are located 35 kilometers northeast of Guyang County. They are among the largest discovered Northern Wei Dynasty ancient town ruins in western Inner Mongolia and are designated as a national key cultural relics protection unit. Huaishuo Town was first built during the Shiguang years of the Northern Wei Dynasty (424–428 AD), boasting a history of over 1,500 years. It was under the jurisdiction of Shuozhou at that time. In 537 AD (the third year of the Yongxi era of the Northern Wei Dynasty), Shuozhou was relocated inland, and Huaishuo Town was abandoned. During the Northern Wei period, the town served as a crucial political and military stronghold in the Hetao region and the Yin Mountains area, renowned as the “Foremost of the Six Garrisons.” Emperors Gao Yang, Gao Huan, and Hou Jing all hailed from this town. Legend has it that Hua Mulan once joined the army here in place of her father.

According to archaeological experts, the ancient town covered an area of 1.6 square kilometers, with city walls stretching 4,667 meters in circumference. The site contains world-rare “Buddha clay caves” and has yielded a large number of cultural relics. Having endured over 1,500 years of history, the ruins still reflect their former grandeur. Currently, our county plans to reconstruct the ancient Huaishuo Town. The reconstructed site will cover an area of approximately 1,600 square meters and will include four city walls, city gates, an imperial palace, noble mansions, barracks, temples, a commercial street, and traditional folk houses. A museum will also be built to collect and store cultural relics from the Northern Wei period. Additionally, recreational activities such as cuju (ancient football), imperial audience ceremonies, and folk temple fairs will be introduced.