Immortal artery in the desert: millennial spring sustains Gobi's hub throughout time

Located along the golden section of the Hexi Corridor in Gansu, Xuanquanzhi Posthouse, a Han Dynasty courier station built over 2,000 years ago, was once a vital hub on the ancient Silk Road. Nestled at the foot of Sanwei Mountain, it was named after its sacred "Hanging Spring (spring on the cliff)," whose never-failing waters sustained countless merchants and travelers.

As the only excavated Silk Road relay station to date, it has yielded over 70,000 artifacts, including more than 30,000 Han-era wooden slips, vividly showcasing the bustling exchanges of envoys and caravans.

East of Dunhuang, where modern highways now trace the paths of ancient camel trains, its guesthouses and stables stand as enduring witnesses to East-West cultural fusion. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Xuanquanzhi ruins has immortalized the Silk Road’s legacy of civilizational dialogue. (Reporter: Xue Lingqiao)