Ancient Town of Wuchuan

Ancient Town of Wuchuan

Wuchuan County is situated at the northern foot of the Daqing Mountain Range, at the northernmost edge of Hohhot City. It is the vital passage to regions beyond the Yin Mountains and has been of great strategic significance throughout history. The county boasts a long and storied past, with abundant cultural relics and historic sites scattered across its land. Many artifacts have been excavated here over the years, providing important reference value for the study of the history and economic development of various ethnic groups in northern China, particularly those in the Yin Mountain area.

“To step into Wuchuan is to step into history.” Archaeological research shows that as early as over 10,000 years ago (during the Paleolithic Age), humans left behind traces of slash-and-burn farming, daily life, labor, and reproduction in this ancient town. During the Warring States Period, King Wuling of Zhao adopted Hu-style dress and cavalry tactics to resist the Xiongnu; in the Qin Dynasty, the general Meng Tian led efforts to build the Great Wall; in the 4th century AD, at the founding of the Northern Wei Dynasty by the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei people, a garrison town was established here — making it one of the only “Six Towns of Northern Wei” that retains both its original name and location to this day. The historically significant political and military faction known as the “Guanlong Group” originated here and gave rise to five emperors of the Yuwen family from the Northern Zhou Dynasty. The ancestors of the Sui and Tang Dynasties served as officials and defenders in Wuchuan, riding into battle across the Central Plains and establishing one of the most prosperous feudal dynasties in Chinese history. Princess Alahai Biji, the third daughter of Genghis Khan, once served as regent here. During the Republic of China era, Ji Hongchang, then head of the Suiyuan Police Department, personally led soldiers and civilians in constructing the Wugong Dam Road, where the stone inscription “Turning Danger into Safety” he wrote remains preserved to this day. The states of Zhao, Qin, Han, Northern Wei, and Jin all built sections of the Great Wall here. Throughout history, Wuchuan has been a crucial zone of cultural exchange and integration between northern nomadic peoples and the agricultural civilization of the Central Plains. The ancient thoroughfare known as the “Bai Dao” (White Road) runs through the region and became the Silk Road of the grasslands and the Tea Trade Route to Mongolia and Russia starting from the Han and Tang Dynasties, giving rise to the unique Bai Dao culture.

Wuchuan County was the site of the Daqing Mountain Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Base, where leaders such as Li Jingquan and Yao...

conducted vigorous anti-Japanese guerrilla warfare. The former headquarters of the Daqing Mountain Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Base has been designated by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the National Development and Reform Commission, and other departments as one of China’s Top 100 Classic Red Tourism Attractions. It is also one of the 19 major anti-Japanese bases in the country and has recently been approved as a National Patriotic Education Demonstration Base.