The last desert turtle city in the world - Yongtai Ancient City

Yongtai Ancient City is located at the foot of Tiger Mountain in Sitan Township, southwest of Jingyuan County, Baiyin City, Gansu Province. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was a military fortress. The ancient city is also known as "Yongtai Turtle City" because it looks like a golden turtle from a bird's eye view. The 'turtle' shape has been said to represent 'heaven is round and earth is square' in astronomy since ancient times. The turtle's back shell is similar to a circle, like 'heaven', and the belly shell is similar to a square, like 'earth'. The many celestial bodies in the sky, such as the sun, moon, and stars, cover the sky, implying that the turtle can convey the way of heaven. There are still a small number of residents who have not left. Several generations have been guarding the old houses in the ancient city because they have feelings and can't bear to leave. These typical pure wooden mortise and tenon structures of the northwest old houses, carved flower porches, diamond-shaped wooden windows, still exude the taste of early life. According to them, their ancestors were frontier soldiers who left their hometowns to build the ancient city and guard the border. Afterwards, they lived here generation after generation. The name 'Yongtai' means 'to always decide to repel the enemy, to be peaceful and peaceful', and the beautiful wish is realized and continued. Almost every household in the ancient city is raising sheep, especially in the early morning, the dense flock of sheep rush out of the ancient city, forming a spectacular landscape. In order to see the flock of sheep, I got up early and stood next to the high ground outside the city, like a flowing cloud. They linger by the lake to drink leisurely, the clouds in the sky, the clouds on the ground, the reflections in the lake, it's quite interesting. Yongtai Ancient City