[Explanation] On a Gobi Plain in Sitan Township, Jingtai County, Baiyin City, Gansu, there is an ancient city of the Ming Dynasty that has a history of 400 years, named Yongtai City.
From a high altitude, the ancient city looks like a tortoise, so it is also called the "turtle city".
The ancient city of Yongtai was built in the 36th year of Wanli of the Ming Dynasty and was a military fortress of the Ming Dynasty.
There are 12 forts and 4 towers on the city wall. There are urns inside the city wall and a moat at the foot of the city wall. There are beacon towers that stretch for dozens of miles on the north and south sides of the city. It can be called a model of ancient Chinese military fortress textbook style.
Over the centuries, with the weakening of the military status and the deterioration of the surrounding natural environment, the ancient city has already declined, and now it is full of ten rooms and nine empty spaces.
70-year-old Li Chongren is a retired teacher and protector and commentator of the ancient city. He has been guarding the city for more than ten years.
[Concurrent] Yongtai Ancient City Guide Li Chongren
There are 4 urn cities, the 4 claws of the tortoise are in the southeast and northwest, and the 12 turrets are the skirts of the flesh under the tortoise shell.
The T-shaped alley in Yongtai City, the T-shaped in the main street, and the Ding-zi in the alleys are the shells of tortoises.
Before this, there were more than 2,000 people and more than 800 households. Now there are 78 households and more than 240 people.
Because life in this place is more difficult and it is a bit arid, people can grow water land after they move to the Yellow River irrigation area, and the water land is better.
[Explanation] Most of the city walls of Yongtai ancient city are made of rammed loess, sand and stone. They are old and affected by rain, snow, wind and sand. The walls have weathered, cracked, and partially fallen off. Tourists climbing have also caused a certain degree of safety on the city site. influences.
[Concurrent] Yongtai Ancient City Guide Li Chongren
I look at this city every day, mainly because I don't allow (tourists) to go up to the city. Until now, in 413, the soil on it has been loosened. When people go up there, the key is safety problems.
As with these, when there is a problem, report to our Cultural Relics Bureau in a timely manner and say where there is a problem.
[Explanation] Chen Xiuqin, deputy director of the Jingtai County Cultural Relics Protection Workstation, introduced to reporters that since 2012, protection projects such as wall rescue and reinforcement, city flood control, and school building group repairs have been gradually completed.
[Concurrent] Chen Xiuqin, Deputy Station Director, Cultural Relics Protection Work Station, Jingtai County, Baiyin City, Gansu Province
Our plan is to integrate culture and tourism, strengthen protection and tourism, and comprehensively develop such projects.
Now that it has been approved by the Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau, the project to be implemented in 2021 is the construction of the 3D scene digitization and intelligent management platform of the Yongtai City Site. The initial cost of this project has been in place.
[Explanation] At present, military facilities such as the Urn City, the fort, and the beacon tower and the teaching ground outside the ancient city still exist. The city walls and gates are basically intact. The Yongtai Primary School built in the early years of the Republic of China still remains in the city.
As the sun sets, Li Chongren looks at the old city wall and tells the reporter that the city is like a human being, and will disappear when he gets older. He hopes to "live" the city through tourism and pass it on.
Gao Ying, Ma Bin, Gansu Baiyin Report
Editor in charge: [Li Ji]