The Houtaotao Hai City Ruins

Houtaotao Hai City Ruins

The Houtaotao Hai City Ruins are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Era: Liao Dynasty

The Houtaotao Hai City Ruins, located within Chen Barga Banner, Hulunbuir City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, are the ruins of an ancient city from the Liao Dynasty. The site is square-shaped, built from earth, with a perimeter of 2,000 meters and covering an area of 250,000 square meters. The city is surrounded by walls 3 to 4 meters high, with a watchtower every 40 meters, each about 4 meters tall. There are gates on the north and south sides respectively, and a moat outside the city with a bottom width of 5 meters. Historians believe that the Houtaotao Hai ancient city was the Huihu Kedun City, which fell into disuse due to war and chaos. During the Liao Dynasty, the Jurchen tribes inhabiting the borderlands rebuilt the city on the old site, constructing a frontier defense or horse-breeding city specifically for garrisoning troops. It served as a station for frontier guards. Numerous Liao Dynasty pottery shards with woven patterns have been found in the ancient city, along with unearthed artifacts such as ironware, copper coins, bone needles, and microliths.

On May 3, 2013, it was designated and announced by the State Council as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units