Retracing Edgar Snow's path to the ancient city of Xiamaguan in Tongxin county, NW China's Ningxia

Photo shows the ruins of the ancient city of Xiamaguan in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Photo / People's Daily Online)

The ancient city of Xiamaguan, located in Tongxin county of Wuzhong city in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In 1936, Edgar Snow, an American journalist, visited Xiamaguan to interview Xu Haidong, who had led the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army to capture the town.  Snow also took photos for Xu. Committed to promoting the Great Wall's cultural significance, the local government is capitalizing on Xiamaguan town's tourism resources to build a Great Wall cultural park that integrates sightseeing, leisure, and health care.

(Xing Yawen, as an intern, contributed to this story.)