Qìngzhōu

Qingzhou stood on the Chagan Moron plain north of the Liao capital at Shangjing. The city was noted for its temples, markets and wealth, and nearby lay the tombs of Liao emperors. Its great white pagoda, built between 1047 and 1049, rose above the plain with carved figures, mirrors and bells adorning its many tiers. Centuries later the Mongol ruler Ligdan Khan established a city known as White City on the old Qingzhou site, giving the ancient centre a new political life.