PLACE GUIDE

Tongwancheng 统万城

Tongwancheng’s pale walls rise from the northern Shaanxi landscape at Baichengzi, the former capital built for Helian Bobo’s Xia kingdom in the early fifth century.

Surviving earthen wall at Tongwancheng.
Surviving earthen wall at Tongwancheng. Photograph date recorded by the source: 2013-08-26 13:23:22. · Nm900110 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo adjustments

Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.

Explore the region

Shaanxi · 陕西省 →Yulin · 榆林市 →

About Tongwancheng

The surviving city is an archaeological ruin of compacted earth, clay and lime, not a restored street grid. Its adjoining eastern and western enclosures, projecting defensive platforms and massive southwest corner give the clearest sense of its fortifications. Read the city from the marked visitor route so that its fragile wall surfaces remain protected.

What to look for

  • The pale rammed-earth walls dividing the eastern and western city enclosures.
  • The projecting defensive platforms and prominent southwest corner structure of the western city.

The surrounding area

A distinct far-northern city stay for Zhenbeitai and Hongshixia; trips to Jingbian or other outlying counties require separate routing.

Location & getting there

Getting to Tongwancheng

Travel to the Tongwancheng archaeological site at Baichengzi in Hongdunjie Town, north of Jingbian County.

  • The site lies by the Wuding River; use the managed visitor entrance and view the walls from the permitted route.
General visit reminders

Choose the building, exhibition or part of the historic area you most want to see, then leave time to explore its setting. Check the venue’s current opening and reservation arrangements directly; a place appearing on the map does not mean every building or gallery is accessible on your travel date.

Combine your visit

Suggested order within this visit:

  1. City-plan orientation point

    Identify the outer enclosure and the two inner cities.

  2. Western-city wall viewpoint

    Study the compacted material and projecting defences.

  3. Southwest corner view

    Finish with the most prominent surviving defensive structure.

This sequence is an editorial suggestion based on the features described in the sources. Access to individual buildings or areas should be checked locally; no travel time or shared admission is implied.

AI illustration: Weathered layers in an old rammed-earth wall (general reference, not this place).
AI illustration · AI 示意图（景观类型参考，非实拍） · 夯土遗址层理近景 — A general visiting detail, not an exact view of this place.
Historic sites & architecture · 历史古迹／建筑 →

Find Tongwancheng

统万城 · 榆林

Amap · 高德地图Approximate pin · 近似位置Apple Maps · 苹果地图

The pin marks the area, not the entrance.

Sources & visit information

The linked encyclopedia sources support background and place descriptions. Current opening hours, ticket prices, booking rules and transport schedules have not been independently verified for this guide. Confirm them with the venue or operator before travelling.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 93649216.

China Revealed · Editorially updated 2026-10-07