Ancient City Island

　　Ancient City Island is situated in the Heilongjiang River, 4 kilometers north of Xing’an Town in Mohe County. As the second largest island in the river, it lies just 50 meters from the Chinese shore and 350 meters from the Russian shore. The opposite bank of the island is the site of Yaksa City, now known as Albazin in Russia. During the Battle of Yaksa, Qing troops built an earthen fort, established military camps, and set up a command post on the island, turning it into a strategic foothold for the recapture of Yaksa. The island earned its current name from this earthen fort.

　　In September 1650, as the Qing army entered the Central Plains, Tsarist Russia took the opportunity to invade China’s Heilongjiang region, forcibly occupying Nerchinsk and Yaksa. The Daur people living in the Yaksa settlement refused to surrender, resisting the enemy with spears and crude weapons. The Russian forces carried out a massacre, killing 661 Daur people, capturing 360, and leaving only 15 survivors. The Russians then entrenched themselves in Yaksa, building fortifications and engaging in widespread burning, killing, and looting. The Chinese people in the Heilongjiang region referred to the Russian invaders as "Luocha," meaning "demons."

　　The Qing government repeatedly demanded that the Russian invaders withdraw from China, but the Russian government ignored these demands and continued to reinforce and expand militarily in Yaksa. To defend the sacred territory of the motherland, Emperor Kangxi, after quelling the “Rebellion of the Three Feudatories,” inspected the northeastern defenses in the spring of 1682 and ordered Ming’ai, Vice Minister of the Lifan Yuan, to establish postal relay stations between Mergen (Nenjiang) and Yaksa—by the time they reached present-day Xing’an Town, 25 stations had been set up. In February 1685, Emperor Kangxi commanded General Peng Chun and Deputy General Lang Tan to lead a team of red-barreled cannons and hundreds of shield-bearing soldiers to hurry to Aihui and join forces with the Heilongjiang General, Sabusu. Subsequently, 3,000 Qing troops advanced by both land and water, reaching Yaksa directly, and set up their command post on Ancient City Island. On June 23, Peng Chun delivered a surrender letter written in Manchu, Russian, and Polish to prisoners of war, who were sent into Yaksa City. The Russian invaders, confident in their fortified defenses, ignored Peng Chun’s warning. On June 25, Peng Chun ordered an artillery attack on Yaksa. The thunderous roar of cannons, blazing gunfire, and fiery explosions pressured the Russian forces into retreating into the city, left helpless under heavy assault. Meanwhile, shield-bearing soldiers' ships densely populated the river, bravely fighting off both the Russian reinforcements from upstream and the fleeing invaders, dyeing the river red with blood. After fierce battle, the Russian invaders suffered heavy casualties and had no choice but to send envoys to the Qing camp to surrender. Tolbuzin led over 600 men back to Nerchinsk. The Qing army reclaimed Yaksa, burned down the fortress, and then withdrew to Aihui and other areas.

　　In August 1685, learning that the Qing troops had withdrawn, Tolbuzin led a reinforcement force to reoccupy Yaksa, rebuilding artillery batteries, armories, and defensive structures, aiming for a long-term occupation of the city. In February 1686, Sabusu prepared to drive out the invaders once again. On Ancient City Island, he “dug long trenches and erected earthen ramparts” to besiege the enemy. In July, Sabusu led a large army to Yaksa and began bombarding the enemy camps within the city with heavy artillery, launching an attack on the city. Tolbuzin was killed by a cannon shot. The Qing army then dug moats around the city to besiege it further, cutting off the water supply inside. The Russian forces, trapped in the isolated city, were exhausted and lost their combat capability. Of the original 800-man garrison, only 66 remained, and they had no choice but to surrender. China achieved a complete victory in the Yaksa self-defense counterattack.

　　News of the defeat in the Battle of Yaksa reached Moscow, forcing Tsarist Russia’s regent, Princess Sophia, to send envoys to Beijing to deliver a diplomatic letter to the Qing government, requesting a ceasefire and expressing willingness to resolve the border issue through negotiation. In September 1689, representatives from China and Russia negotiated in Nerchinsk and signed the Sino-Russian Treaty of Nerchinsk.

　　On May 28, 1858, Heilongjiang General Yishan and Russian official Muravyov signed the Treaty of Aihui, ceding a vast area of Chinese territory north of the Heilongjiang River and south of the Outer Xing’an Range to Russia. From then on, Yaksa was renamed Albazin, setting a criminal precedent for Russia’s further encroachment on Chinese territory.

　　Today, Ancient City Island covers an area of 15 square kilometers. Traces of the ancient fort and artillery battery still remain on the island. Before 1964, the Emuer Commune was stationed on the island, which later became the village of Ancient City, with most of its land cultivated for farming. In the spring flood of 1985, an ice jam disaster occurred, prompting villagers to relocate inland. Only a two-story building remains standing in the center of the island, watching over the lush fields. Along the island’s shores, trees and shrubs grow densely, with ancient, branch-connected trunks standing proudly like guarding soldiers. The shimmering river waters embrace the island as they flow gently into the distant valley, their roaring sounds echoing like the distant thunder of ancient battlefields.