Khara-Khoto Ruins

黑城

A Western Xia and Yuan-dynasty ruined city in the desert, where the Juyan documents and Khara-Khoto manuscripts were found. Its walls and stupas stand alone, half buried in the sand.

Khara-Khoto (Yijinai in Tangut; Khara-Khoto in Mongolian) lies in the desert about 25 km southeast of Dalaihubu town. It was the seat of the Yanjun Military Commission of Heishui Town in Western Xia and of the Yijinai Circuit General Administration in the Yuan dynasty. It was also an important hub on the northern Silk Road route to the Mongolian steppe. It was abandoned at the end of the 14th century after the river changed course and the water supply was cut off, and it was gradually buried by the desert. The ruined city is roughly square in plan, about 430 m east to west and 370 m north to south. Its walls still stand about 10 m high. Five bowl-shaped stupas survive at the northwest corner and are the symbol of Khara-Khoto. Outside the walls on the west are the remains of a Muslim gongbei (saint’s tomb) site. Inside, you can see the outlines of streets, houses and temples, and dunes have already drifted up over the walls. In 1908–1909 the Russian explorer Kozlov excavated here and carried off large quantities of Tangut and Chinese texts and Buddhist paintings. These are known as the Khara-Khoto manuscripts. They are the most important source for studying the history of Western Xia, and they are now held in St Petersburg, Russia. How to visit: the joint ticket with Weird Forest costs about CNY 120–150. Take the shuttle bus from the entrance for about 10 minutes to reach the ruins. Then follow the designated route up onto the walls to look out over the sand sea and stupas. Allow about 1 hour. The shadows on the walls are most dramatic in the late afternoon to dusk, when the light falls at an angle. A few kilometers from Khara-Khoto are the Datong City ruins (site of the Tang-dynasty Tongcheng garrison) and the Red City ruins, which visitors interested in old cities can also see. Notes: the ruins are fragile, so do not climb the stupas or cross the fences. There is no shelter in the desert and the winds are strong, so bring a scarf to cover your face. Autumn evenings are cold. After leaving Khara-Khoto, you can stop at Weird Forest on the way to watch the sunset.

Khara-Khoto Ruins

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