Unify the world, the king is the king of all nations
The earth here is much deeper
The sun here is more bloody
This is the unification of ten thousand cities
Battle of The City of Ten Thousand Cities
The Battle of Tongwancheng, an important war in the unification of the north during the Sixteen Kingdoms period, is also a rare example of cavalry siege warfare in Chinese history. Tongwancheng, the capital of the Great Xia Kingdom built by the Xiongnu leader Helian Bobo with 100,000 laborers. According to historical records, the wall of Tongwancheng is about 8 zhang high, the base thickness is 30 steps, the upper width is 10 steps, and the palace wall is about 4 zhang high.
1
Guosheng is strong and strong
△ Night view of the Tongwancheng Ruins Museum
In 413, After encroaching on a large area of Later Qin's territory, Helian Bobo became a powerful force dominating the north, with a huge army and strong financial and material resources, and Helian Bobo realized that a strong capital city should be built as a base for further development.
After choosing the construction site, Helian Bobo appointed Linggan Ali, who was extremely strict on quality, to be fully responsible for the construction of the city, and named it "Tongwancheng", which means unified wanbang. The construction of Tongwancheng lasted six years, using triad soil (lime, sand, clay) as building materials, and after its completion, it was "jianke sword and axe", which was a representative of the ancient Chinese urban defense system. In addition to the strong city walls, Tongwancheng also has a three-dimensional defense system formed by rivers, outer Guocheng, horse faces, battlements, moats, tiger falls, and iron tribulus.
In 418 AD, with the construction of the altar after Helian Bobo captured Chang'an City and became emperor, the great Xia state also reached its heyday, and with its strong strength and strong unification of Wancheng, it became one of the main forces that divided the north at that time.
2
Heirs vying for power Dynasties declined
△ Introduction to Helian Bobo in the Tongwancheng Ruins Museum
In 424, Helian Bobo planned to depose the crown prince Helian Xuan as the King of Qin, and establish his fourth son, Helian Lun, the Duke of Jiuquan, as crown prince. When Helian Xuan heard that his father was going to depose himself and make Helianlun the crown prince, he immediately led 70,000 troops to attack Helianlun, and Helianlun led 30,000 troops to resist, and the soldiers were defeated and killed. The third son, Helian Chang, the Duke of Taiyuan, took the opportunity to lead 10,000 cavalry to attack and kill Helian Xuan, and Helian Bobo finally had to make Helian Chang the crown prince.
Probably due to the blow of the slaughter of his heirs, the following year, Helian Bobo died of illness in Tongwancheng, and Helian Chang successfully succeeded to the throne. The civil strife in the Xia Kingdom and the death of Helian Bo began to weaken the once-mighty Xia Kingdom.
3
Northern Wei Dynasty took Chang'an lightly
△ Ruins of the West Gate Urn City of Tongwancheng
When the Northern Wei Emperor Tuoba Tao heard that the Xia Kingdom had just experienced a struggle for the throne and attacked Western Qin with separate troops, he thought that this was a good time for the Western Wei Dynasty to attack the Xia Kingdom, so he sent generals and troops to attack the Xia Kingdom in three ways. One route led Sikong Xijin to attack Pusaka (蒲坂, in present-day Yongjixi, Shanxi), the other route led 10,000 people to attack Shaancheng (陕城, in modern Sanmenxia, Henan), and he himself led 20,000 light horses straight to the Capital of the Xia State of Tongwancheng.
Inside Tongwan City, Helian Chang was entertaining his courtiers, when he heard that Tuoba Tao and his division had suddenly arrived, he was shocked up and down, and hurriedly led a large army to meet the battle at Heishui (southwest of present-day Wushen Banner, Inner Mongolia) thirty miles away from TongwanCheng. However, before the platoon was deployed, the cavalry led by Tuoba Tao attacked and killed, Helian Chang fled back to Tongwancheng to hold on, and the Wei army burned and plundered, taking countless prisoners, and capturing more than 100,000 cattle and sheep.
4
Chen Shiju's brigade resumed the attack on Tongwan
△ Tongwancheng Ruins Museum Inside Chen
When Helian Chang heard of the fall of Chang'an, he was indignant and immediately sent his brother HeLian Ding to lead 20,000 elite troops south with the intention of retaking Chang'an. Tongwancheng's troops weakened, and Tuoba Tao felt that the opportunity had come again. So he sent troops to cut down trees and make siege equipment. After a short rest, he organized his army again and launched a second round of attack, this time targeting the entire Xia Kingdom, including the impregnable TongwanCheng.
In May 427, Tuoba Tao led hundreds of thousands of Wei troops from Pingcheng, and when the army reached The Neighboring Mountain (southeast of present-day Zungar Banner, Inner Mongolia), Tuoba Tao ordered the construction of a castle, leaving all the heavy defenses, and he planned to lead another light cavalry, lightly armed and fast horses, and kill Ben Tong Wancheng first.
5
The iron horse trampled on the enemy City and destroyed the country
△ TongwanCheng Ruins
After Helian Chang learned that Northern Wei was going to attack Tongwancheng again, he sent people to recall Helianding, who had retaken Chang'an in the south, and Helianding said: "Tongwancheng is very strong, they can't attack it, and when I retake Chang'an and capture Xi Jin, I will come back to attack inside and outside." Helian Chang thought that what his brother said was reasonable, so he decided not to stick to it.
Tuoba Tao ordered that the light horses be divided into two teams on the left and right, making full use of the advantages of the cavalry, circling behind the Xia army, cutting off the Xia army's retreat, changing from fighting against the wind to pursuing and killing with the tailwind, the two sides fought together, and the Xia army was defeated. Helian Chang's rear road was cut off, and he could not return to Tongwancheng, so he had to flee to Shangyi (present-day southwest of Tianshui City, Gansu), and Tuoba Tao also successfully attacked Tongwancheng.
After losing the fortified TongwanCheng, Helian Chang and Helian Ding continued to survive in the Shangyi and Pingliang areas, but they had lost their political center and became a regime in exile, and it was not long before they were killed one after another, and the Xia kingdom also perished.
Tongwancheng Ruins Museum
Tonwancheng site museum
The Tongwancheng Ruins Museum planned and built by Shaanxi Cultural Investment Group Yulin Cultural Tourism Company is about to be completed. With a construction area of 9,922 square meters, the Tongwancheng Ruins Museum is located on the sand dune platform on the south bank of the Wuding River, overlooking the majestic city wall ruins in the distance. The design of the museum adopts the method of concealment to quantify the building body into zero, forming an interrelated and buried "treasure box", resembling an archaeological "exploration pit", making visitors feel as if they are walking on the "site".
The Tongwancheng Ruins Museum integrates modern museum display means, museum culture and leisure, historical and cultural excursions, Xiongnu cultural experience, and Tongwancheng cultural and creative derivatives to create a historical, scientific and authentic situational experience, allowing visitors to experience the history of the Tongwancheng ruins in interactive activities, and appreciate and feel the details and historical and cultural connotations of the Tongwancheng ruins.
The Hun Empire flourished
What kind of civilization to have
Soon to open
▷ Tongwancheng Ruins Museum ◁
Will take you to unveil its mystery
Let's look forward to it