Photo: IC

A rare well-preserved ancient fort dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) has been discovered in the Mu Us Desert, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, which is about 10 kilometers away from the Great Wall, Shaanxi-based Huashang News reported on Tuesday.

Qingpingbao Fort is the best preserved and most complete among the forts found in northern Shaanxi, as it was quickly covered and buried by the desert after it was abandoned and there have been no large-scale human activities in the complex since then, Yu Chunlei, an associate researcher from Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology, told media.

The whole complex is about 600 meters long from north to south and 300 meters wide from east to west, and has three gates. It is roughly rectangular in shape from a bird's eye view.

The relics and condition of the fort vividly reflect the landscape and features of forts along the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty era, and will help with archaeological researches and protection of other forts, Yu said.

A number of relics, including painted clay figurines, stone statues, incense burners, glazed tiles and defensive weapons, have been discovered from the complex, researchers said.

Built between 1465 and 1487, Qingpingbao Fort was attacked and repaired multiple times in the late Ming Dynasty, and was finally abandoned during the reign of the Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It was one of 36 forts in the area.