Xiutu

) was about 20km north of Wuwei, and about 500km beyond Guyuan and its Great Wall built by King Zhao of Qin in 271 BCE (), and by Qin Shihuang (circa 210 BCE, ). The Kingdom of Xiutu is closely associated to the Shajing culture (700–100 BCE), which managed to prosper along rivers amid general aridification. The Shajing Culture was able to flourish along the lower Shiyang River as the Zhuye Lake was retreating, while the city of Xiutu prospered along the Hongshui River, permitting a flourishing of nomadic culture within a context of drought. The predecessors of Xiutu in the area of the Hexi Corridor, before the Xiongnu occupation around 176 BCE, were probably the Yuezhi. The city of Xiutu (休屠城), about north of Wuwei, has left monumental ruins (), located on the ancient border of Zhuye Lake. The Minqin Basin along the Shiyang River was named "Xiutuze" (休屠泽, "Lake Xiutu") after the King. The number of Xiongnus living in the Hexi Corridor at that time is estimated at 50,000 people, and they were living along the rivers, were water resources were naturally abundant. ==Han–Xiongnu Wars==

When the Han–Xiongnu Wars (133–89 BCE) broke out, the Han dynasty led a campaign against the rulers of the Hexi Corridor. In 121 BCE, Huo Qubing was put in charge of an attack on the Hexi corridor, leading 10,000 light cavalry. King Xiutu has a son named Midi, born in 134 BCE, who was also captured and became a close aid to Han Wudi, becoming known as Jin Midi (金日磾) in Chinese. ==Gold statues==

8th-century mural depicting Emperor Wu of Han worshipping "golden man" statues. The Shiji records that in 121 BCE, after Huo Qubing defeated the Xiongnu, he "captured golden (or gilded) men used by the King of Xiutu to worship Heaven", and these were then transferred to the Ganquan Temple near the Imperial Palace of Han Wudi. The statue (or statues) measured more than one zhang (about ), and was put on display, incense was burned and prostrations were made. The expression "金人" ("golden men") may show some unfamiliarity with this kind of free-standing anthropomorphic idol. Sima Qian probably personally saw which was brought back by Huo Qubing in 121 BCE, while he was working on his Records of the Grand Historian. Jin Midi was only said to have worshipped the golden statue, now in the Imperial Palace, and this is the reason why he was given the family name "Jin" ("Gold") by the Emperor Han Wudi. Still, the term "Xiutu" is also known to have been used in Chinese as an early transliteration for the name of the Buddha and for Buddhist monks. According to Christoph Baumer "it is conceivable that this 'Golden man' was a statue of the Buddha". A New Account of the Tales of the World () claims that the golden statues were more than ten feet high, and Emperor Wu of Han sacrificed to it in the Ganquan palace, which "is how Buddhism gradually spread into (China)." In Cave 323 in Mogao caves (near Dunhuang in the Tarim Basin), Emperor Wudi is shown worshipping two golden statues, with the following inscription (which closely paraphrases the traditional accounts of Huo Qubing's expedition): The statue(s) were moved to a temple in Yong county, Yunyang prefecture, near the royal summer palace Ganquan (modern Xianyang, Shaanxi), in the former capital of the Qin dynasty. Wei Shou believes it was located in the palace. The Ganquan Palace was a place of worship. Jin Midi, the son of Xiutu, became a favorite of Emperor Wu, who expanded the Ganquan Palace and spent much time there. Due to Emperor Wu's close relations with Jin, both his parents were honored and the golden statue(s) were placed in a temple dedicated to the spirit of Jinglu (a type of precious Xiongnu sword) for the worship of Xiutu. The locale seems to have been devoted to foreign deities as another temple dedicated to Yue practices was located in the same place. The golden statue(s) later disappeared and the temple came to be known for the sword. ==Han occupation of the Hexi Corridor==

Following their conquest of the Hexi Corridor, Han authorities incorporated the new territories into prefectures and counties, such as the Wuwei Prefecture. Numerous people were transferred from the Central Plains, to repopulate the Hexi Corridor. ==Descendants of Xiutu==

was a descendant of the Xiongnu King Xiutu. The Xiongnu origins of Ban Biao on the maternal side might help explain the skills of his illustrious son and grandsons in dealing with matters related to China's history and foreign relations. ==References==