Yong’an Ancient City

　　Yong’an Ancient City is located southwest of Menyuan County, about 50 kilometers from Haomen Town. The city was first built in 1725, during the third year of the Yongzheng reign in the Qing Dynasty, and was constructed by the renowned Qing general Nian Gengyao. The city spans 438 meters from north to south and 353 meters from east to west, with walls that are 7.3 meters high and 6.7 meters thick. It features two watchtowers, eight artillery platforms, and a moat 1.6 meters deep beneath the walls. Originally, gate towers stood at both the eastern and western gates. The Yong’an River flows past the west side of the city, moving from north to south. From the southeast corner of the city, you can see the Nine Ridges, atop which lie Islamic mausoleums. To the west lies Xifeng Mountain, whose summit hosts a beacon tower and houses five caves, commonly known as Immortal Caves, believed to have been used by Taoist monks for spiritual practice in ancient times. To the north of the city rises the vast and misty Qilian Mountains.

　　For over 200 years, from 1725 to 1928, this place thrived as a bustling commercial hub, attracting merchants from all around. During the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, Menyuan was part of Datong County, where an official named Jia Xun served as county magistrate. He had a particular fondness for five-character poetry. On one of his inspection trips to Menyuan, he wrote a poem titled "From North Datong to Yong’an City," praising the scenery and local produce he encountered on the journey from Haomen Town to Yong’an City:

　　Departing from Hongshan Fort,

　　Barren wild wells appear.

　　Hunting grounds with sandy grass in disarray,

　　Grazing lands dusted with clinging snow.

　　Swift trails of field mice in sight,

　　Goats’ horns sharp and upright.

　　Where gleaming flags wave bright,

　　Mighty battlements come to mind.

　　In the 18th year of the Republic of China (1928), Ma Zhongying, known as “Little Commander,” suffered a defeat in his siege of Hezhou and fled westward. Along the way, after massacring the people of Huangyuan County, he was pursued by the National Revolutionary Army. To escape the manhunt, he escaped to Yong’an City in March of the same year. He then carried out a bloody massacre in the city and looted extensively before fleeing further west. The once-prosperous Yong’an City, which had flourished for centuries, was abandoned after being turned into a ghost town by Ma Zhongying’s atrocities. Yong’an City is not only the best-preserved ancient city in Menyuan County but also the most intact one discovered so far in Qinghai Province. In recent years, many TV drama production crews have chosen this city as a filming location, shooting numerous films and television series. Part of the exterior scenes for the TV series "Gesar King" were filmed here.

　　It is said that on clear days following rain, mirages have been spotted here—visions of armoured troops locked in fierce, unresolved battle.