Xi'an Prefecture Ancient City

　　Traveling about 20 kilometers west from Haiyuan County, you’ll come across the ruins of an ancient city. This is the historically known "throat between Guyuan and Jingyuan, sash of Gansu and Liangzhou" — Xi'an Prefecture Ancient City. In the second year of the Yongxi era (985) during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty, the area around Tiandu Mountain was occupied by the Western Xia. In 1042, the Western Xia built seven magnificent palaces at the foot of Tiandu Mountain (now Huangwan Village), complete with inner government offices, storehouses, and lodging. Emperor Yuanhao and Lady Moya held a grand wedding ceremony here. Later on, every summer, Yuanhao and Lady Moya would come here to feast and enjoy themselves. Today, Xi'an Prefecture City lies in ruins, with the northern part of the city heavily collapsed — only earthen mounds about seven or eight feet high remain along the city walls. The southern part of the city is relatively better preserved, and traces of the old moat can still be seen around the perimeter.