Beijing, May 6 (IANS): The ruins of an ancient city have been discovered in China's Yunnan province.

Archaeologists have found the remains of several walls in Midu county, believed to be part of Baiya city, and dating to the early years of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) over 1,000 years ago, reports Xinhua news agency.

Accounts of the old town of Baiya city first appear in a history book written by military official Fan Chuo during the Tang Dynasty.

Fan said that Baiya city had an old town and a new town, which were closely connected.

A previously discovered "old town" was about two km from the confirmed new town, contradictory to the book, according to historian and archaeologist He Jinlong.

"From the location of these newly discovered ruins, much closer to the new town, we are pretty confident that it is the authentic old town," he said. "As excavation continues, we will know more details."

Domestic and foreign records about Baiya city are quite limited, and the new discovery will provide valuable evidence for research into the ancient civilisation of west Yunnan, he said.