Yongtai Ancient City! The living ancient city on the Hexi Corridor

This is a large earthen ancient city for military defense during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is also the filming location for many film and television works such as 'The World's Granary', 'Mythology', 'Mulan', and others. 'A solitary city amidst towering mountains' is the most fitting description for this place. Constructed in the 36th year of the Wanli era of the Ming dynasty, Yongtai Ancient City, which has a history of over 400 years, was built by the Ming government to defend against invasions by northern ethnic minorities. Once completed, it became a military fortress, with the Lanzhou Deputy General stationed within this castle. At that time, in addition to the stationed soldiers and cavalry, the city also had affiliated facilities such as a gunpowder field, forage field, mill, and horse farm. 📌TIPS: 📍Location: Search for 'Yongtai Ancient City in Baiyin' in the navigation system. 💰Admission: Currently free of charge. 🅿️Parking: There is a parking lot right at the entrance of the ancient city, free of charge. ⏰️Visiting time: About 1 hour. 🔶Due to the ancient city being located in the Gobi desert, the ultraviolet rays are very strong, and sandstorms can arise suddenly. Therefore, it is essential to prepare polarized glasses and sunscreen to avoid sunburn. 🔷The roads within the ancient city are all dirt and gravel, so a pair of comfortable sports shoes is necessary. 🔶The entire Yongtai Ancient City is shaped like a 'turtle', hence it is also known as 'Turtle City' or 'Yongtai Turtle City'. This shape can be fully appreciated from an aerial drone view. (The use of drones is allowed in the ancient city) 🔷There are only two small restaurants in the ancient city that offer meals, which you can try. There are also small shops, but of course, you can also bring your own food, especially drinking water. 🔶Yongtai Ancient City is well-preserved, with a reservoir outside the city, but there is a water well every few dozen meters within the city, making it very convenient for daily water use. 🔷The entire ancient city has not been commercially developed, retaining its original flavor, and it is a less popular and niche attraction with fewer tourists, allowing ample time to truly experience the ancient city's appearance from four hundred years ago. 🔶On the way to the scenic spot, there are freshly picked watermelons for sale on both sides of the county road leading to the attraction, which are very sweet, juicy, and also very cheap. Taking a few with you will make the trip worthwhile.