Modern ghost town raises spirits of the past

In front of the ancient ruins of the fort stood two gray monuments and a huge gate obscured by a heavy covering of dust and sand. An old man clutching a smoking pipe, which he puffed on at regular intervals, leant against one of the fort's walls, selling bags of apples to passers-by.

A bored donkey chained to a dead tree nibbled on the plants that sprang from the loess soil.

The three Chinese characters engraved on the gate, were barely decipherable. They are de sheng pu, which means "victory town".