西夏統萬城是十六國時期重要的都城，但由於位居要衝，地控鄂爾多斯沙漠與無 定河源，因此向為南北朝時期兵家必爭之地。道了唐末之際，統萬城又成了黨項 族的根據地，且因此對中原國家造成壓迫。宋、遼之爭，西夏據統萬城，趁勢崛 起，遂與宋、遼成為鼎足之勢。質致宋太宗淳化五年（西元九九四），宋廷為了軍 事目的下令遷民廢城。於是統萬城遂淹沒在歷史中，後世讀史亦難得其詳。

　　　　　Hsi-hsia's T'ung-wan City was an important capital during the period known as the Sixteen Kingdoms. Due to its strategic location controlling the Eldos desert and the source of the Wu-ting River, this city had been a key military territory since the Northern Dynasties period. By the end of the T'ang dynasty, T'ung-wan City became the base of the Tang-hsiang tribe and began to exert pressure on the central Chinese government. While the Sung and Liao Dynasties were in the midst of fighting wars, the Hsi-Hsia Kingdom gradually developed to the point where it rivaled the two dynasties. In the fifth year of the Sung T'ai-tsung's reign (994 A.D.), Sung Dynasty troops destroyed the city and had the Chinese population withdrawn for military purposes. Thus, T'ung-wan City was buried in oblivion; it is difficult to find details about the city. The present account is based on the writer's personal visits to the archeological site in T'ung-wan City, and it includes a great amount of first-hand information on the verification of the city and related artifacts excavated therein. These elements serve to provide a detailed introduction to the city and can be used as research material in the study of cities from the Sixteen Kingdoms period through the T'ang and Sung dynasties.