Atlas
Juyan Lake
A terminal oasis where the Heihe River dies into the Badain Jaran Desert — the Han dynasty's extreme northern outpost, where military wooden slips were unearthed, a forward base of the Qin-Han empire in the Gobi.
Prefecture: Alxa League
Province: Inner MongoliaReeds crowd the foreground of a wide, calm lake as several white birds fly over the water, and a row of golden trees is reflected along the far shore.
Archaeology3
- Khara-Khoto Western Xia Fortress Ruins
Western Xia texts, Buddhist scriptures and stupas have been unearthed at Khara-Khoto, a desert citadel that once guarded the northern Silk Road.
- Juyan Jiaqu Houguan Beacon & Commandery
More than ten thousand inscribed Juyan Han slips came from this frontier fort, once the command center of the Juyan defensive line.
- Ejina Red City Han Dynasty Fortress Barrier
Rammed-earth walls still rise from the desert at the Red City, a key fortress in the Han dynasty's Zhelu barrier defenses.
Natural Wonder1
- Juyan Lake National Wetland Park
Fed by the Heihe River, Juyan Lake forms the green heart of the Ejina desert, with reed beds and gathering flocks of migratory birds.
Han1
- Juyan Slips Record Han Frontier Life102 BCE
By 102 BCE, dated slips from Juyan recorded Han garrisoning and administrative life on the frontier.
Song1
- Western Xia's Heishuicheng Military Command1038–1227 CE
During the Western Xia period, the Black Water Military Command administered the area around Heishuicheng, which became a military and trade post on the Hexi Corridor.