Huo Quzhi took 4 names from 4 cities, but he didn't expect it to be used to this day, you may have heard of it
Our country has a vast territory, and as a result, different peoples have been born. During the period of feudal society, there were ethnic minorities who invaded the Central Plains and plundered wealth at the same time, but also played a threatening role in the rule of the Central Plains Dynasty.
Huo Qubing was born in 140 BC, but his family was too humble, and later due to the improvement of his family's status, he was able to enter the palace. When the emperor first saw Huo Quai, he loved him very much, so he kept him with him, and then the 18-year-old Huo Quai, had the opportunity to go to the battlefield to attack the Huns, and even led 800 soldiers to raid the Huns, won a lot of victories, and in the subsequent battle, he also captured Shan Yu's uncle, and established his reputation as a general.
Huo Qubing led his troops to attack the Xiongnu many times, so he accumulated a body of injuries in the perennial marching and fighting, which led to his untimely death at the age of 24. However, Huo Qubing was committed to expelling the Xiongnu throughout his life, and made outstanding contributions to maintaining the stability of the border of the Han Dynasty. In the process of expelling the Xiongnu, Huo Qubing once won the 4 counties of Hexi, that is, the 4 cities mentioned in our title, and after taking the 4 counties, he also renamed these 4 cities, but he didn't expect them to be used to this day, you may have heard of them.
We all know that most of the Xiongnu lived in the Hexi Corridor back then, and the four cities built by Huo Qubing were in this area. After Huo Qubing occupied this area, the Han Dynasty government encouraged the people to live in the land of Hexi, so there were familiar names such as Liangzhou, Dunhuang, Zhangye, and Jiuquan, and these 4 names were actually taken down by Huo Qubing after occupying these 4 cities at that time, but they have been used to this day.
First of all, let's talk about Dunhuang. We all know that Dunhuang is a very important tourist attraction today, the Mogao Grottoes in its area is one of the three famous grottoes in our country, such an artistic treasure has also attracted countless people at home and abroad, plus Dunhuang is one of the famous points of the Silk Road, the natural popularity is very high, after long-term development, the city of Dunhuang, has become an important supply point in the direction of the Western Regions in ancient times, and therefore the name of Dunhuang has been handed down.
Secondly, let's talk about Zhangye. The name Zhangye may not seem very familiar to us at first glance, but the geographical location of Zhangye is extremely superior. In ancient times, marching and fighting, with an excellent geographical location, it seems to have occupied the prerequisite for victory, so the ancient Zhangye area, in fact, is a very important military position, plus the Zhangye field, itself has a unique natural scenery, and even now, it has become a very famous tourist city, so such a name is also well-known in the country.
Then let's talk about Liangzhou, but now the name is gone, and it is replaced by people from the Han Dynasty who have obtained Wuwei. I think that at the beginning, after Huo Qubing took this city, because the land here was cold, he took the name of Liangzhou, and then the Han Dynasty changed it to Wuwei in order to promote the national prestige, which is still used today.
The last thing to talk about is Jiuquan, which we are very familiar with, and this name is very familiar to everyone. Jiuquan is located in the Altun Mountains area, and the reason why Huo Qubing originally took such a name is mainly related to a story. It is recorded that there was a clear spring under the castle at that time, and the water was so clear that it tasted like fine wine, so it took the name of Jiuquan.