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An amazingly well preserved ancient Great Wall fort has been discovered in north-west China.

There are two courtyards that have been found at the fort and remains of houses, walls and large statues.

It is believed to be from when the Ming Dynasty ruled China - that's between the years 1368-1644.

They were discovered in north western China in what is now Shaanxi Province.

One of the courtyards found is 60 metres long and 25 metres wide and its walls, houses, and brick floors are well preserved.

Archaeologists also unearthed a stone tablet in the courtyard. According to the inscription on the tablet, the courtyard is the site of a temple called Xianying Palace.

More than 30 painted clay statues were also found there.

The other courtyard is the site of the remains of a larger building. A 12-metre-long and three-metre-tall remaining base was discovered there too.

The ancient fort was found in a ditch from which local villagers took soil to build a road last April, and soon after excavation work started.

The fort is just a few miles from the Great Wall of China which is a huge man-made structure and a World Heritage Site.

The Great Wall of China stretches from the Yellow Sea in the east of China near to Beijing, to the Gobi Desert, making it the world's longest man-made monument.

It is difficult to know exactly how long it is, but it is believed that it was once over 20,000km long.