Traveling along the highways that traverse Hami prefecture in the eastern part of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, one cannot miss the sight of tower-like mud mounds rising from the vast and desolate plains.

They are ancient fire beacon towers that date back to as early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

In ancient times, they formed a crucial part of the military defense system and played a vital role in safeguarding the Silk Road, ensuring its smooth operation and serving as a testament to the governance and jurisdiction of Xinjiang by the central government.

In total, there are 106 of these ancient structures scattered throughout Hami, which has an area of more than 137,000 square kilometers — slightly smaller than Shandong province.

Located about 100 km west of Hami city and 250 meters north of the Lianyungang-Horgos Expressway stands the Liaodun Fire Beacon Tower, known as one of the largest and best-preserved among the collection.

Fifty meters from the fenced compound protecting the tower and several remains of ancient buildings is a patch of poplar trees, a wetland and a meadow.

A dozen sheep, several camels and horses graze on the meadow. In a house built at the mini-oasis lives the family of Memet Ali and his wife Bahail Idris.

For 23 years, the Uygur man has been living there to watch over the ancient structure, which has been under national first-class protection since 2013.

Early connection to relics

Memet was born in Shazaoquan village of Liushuquan, Hami city, in 1955. In 1978, he was hired by the local forestry bureau as a patrolman.

He and 11 fellow patrolmen were tasked with overseeing forests scattered in an area of nearly 600,000 sq km in the prefecture.

While patrolling the area, Memet has become familiar with the ancient fire beacon towers.

"In the 23 years I worked as a ranger, I kept an eye not only on trees and wildlife, but also on about 10 towers scattered around our farm," he said.

When the Hami Bureau of Cultural Relics launched a comprehensive survey of the prefecture's immovable cultural heritage, he eagerly stepped forward to offer his services as a guide.

"In the vicinity of Liushuquan there are dozens of karez wells and those towers," Memet said. "I am familiar with all of them."

Karez wells are an ancient irrigation system dating back over 2,000 years, with underground channels that supply water from the melted ice and snow in the Tianshan Mountains to human settlements dotted on the vast land.

After the survey, he was appointed by the bureau as a voluntary cultural relics guardian.

Having retired from the forestry bureau in 2001, he now receives a pension of 2,300 yuan ($322) per month from his former position.

After retiring, he relocated his family from Shazaoquan to Liaodun, about 25 km west of his village, where there are no signs of human habitation within a radius of over 10 km, to oversee the beacon tower situated at an ancient courier station site, which contains remnants of several rammed earth buildings. He was aware of a functioning karez well near the site, which sustained the surrounding meadow and his livestock.

Between 2001 and 2016, he and his wife dedicated themselves to be voluntary watchers over the ancient site.

Following the site's inclusion on the national protection list in 2013, the local government built iron fencing around it.

In 2016, his wife was hired by the local government as a full-time cultural relics guardian, earning a monthly wage of 400 yuan. Now, her wage is 2,000 yuan per month.