Bars-Hot

Bars-Hot, or Kherlen Bars, was a significant city constructed by the Khitan people during the Liao dynasty, located in the Kherlen River basin of Eastern Mongolia. The site, known as Hedong City in Chinese, covers an area of 1.6 by 1.8 kilometers and is characterized by its mud walls, which remain 4 meters thick and up to 2 meters high today. A notable feature is the ruined octagonal brick pagoda, originally part of a pair, dating back to the 11th century. Despite the destruction of its smaller counterpart in the 1940s by Soviet forces, the surviving pagoda stands at 16.5 meters, making it Mongolia's tallest pre-modern structure. Recent restorations have preserved its intricate architectural details, including traces of mural paintings. Bars-Hot's remains offer valuable insights into the architectural and cultural practices of the Khitan era.