Named for the perennial plant Cynomorium (Suoy-ang), famed for its en­hancement of male virility and potency, Suoyang, also known as Kuyu City, is 43 miles east of Anxi County to the west of the Hexi Corridor. In ancient times, the Shule River flowed through the city, which was founded in the Han Dynasty and prospered in the Tang Dynasty; thus, the architecture here fol­lows the styles of Tang Dynasty. In the southeast, there is a temple, con­structed in Yuan Dynasty. One big tower in the temple is 48 feet high, and sev­eral smaller temples are arranged in a straight line. Suoyang was initially situ­ated on the Silk Road and played an important role in politics, economy, culture, and military affairs of the time. Constructed with an outer city and an inner city, a mound in the northwest is 59 feet high, from which you can discern the ruins of a lookout tower and arena. There is also an ancient defense system consisting of warhorses and an ex­tensive farmland irrigation system.