Khara-Khoto 黑城遗址

About Khara-Khoto

Its surviving rectangular walls, projecting defensive platforms and religious remains make the former town visible within today's sandy landscape. The manuscripts recovered here are important to the study of Tangut history, although those collections are dispersed elsewhere. Read the walls and foundations as archaeological remains, and keep the ancient site distinct from modern tourism reconstructions encountered on the approach.

The city served as an agricultural and pastoral base under the Western Xia and underwent repairs during the Yuan dynasty. It functioned as a post station on routes linking the Hetao Plain (河套平原) and Hexi Corridor (河西走廊) with Lingbei Province (岭北行省). The site has a rectangular enclosure. Its eastern and western gates have barbicans, and defensive platforms project from all four walls.

Excavations in the early twentieth century recovered Tangut texts and Buddhist paintings. The documents include Buddhist scriptures, calendars, astronomical and literary works, dictionaries and other papers, written in languages including Tangut, Old Persian, Chinese, Sanskrit and Old Tibetan. Religious buildings in the ruins represent Buddhist, Daoist and Islamic traditions.

What to look for

• The surviving city walls, gateways and projecting defensive platforms.
• The religious-building remains and the way sand has accumulated around the abandoned settlement.

Location & getting there

Getting to Khara-Khoto

Travel from Dalai Hob, or Dalaihubu, to the Black City visitor area southeast of town; the government places the archaeological site about 36 kilometres away.

• Confirm the internal connection to the actual Khara-Khoto ruins before buying a tour that may also include reconstructed attractions.