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Old silk road town under restoration WATCH VIDEOSource: CCTV.com 10-17-2008 08:58 Along the mysterious silk road, many ancient cities are scattered. Hei Shui, is believed to be the best preserved. The ruins, located in Inner Mongolia continue to be battered by wind and sand and urgent efforts have begun to protect the site. Restoration of ancient Hei Shui has just begun. The city ruins are located in the Gobi area of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The renovation includes rebuilding collapsed sections of the city walls and paving the path where visitors can climb along the walls. The restoration will revive the old city, to the way it looked hundreds of years go. Materials and techniques must replicate the originals. The restoration also will see the removal of sand accumulated near the walls. The project is jointly sponsored by the National Administration of Cultural Relics, and the Local government. The project will cost over four million yuan, or about 600,000 US dollars. The Black Water ancient city was built during the Xixia Kingdom, from the 11th to the early 13th century AD. Relics of the Xixia kingdom were found nearby at the turn of 20th century. The relics included Buddhist manuscripts, coins, books and paintings. Though Black Water is the best preserved among all cities along the silk road it remains under threat from driving wind and sand.

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