Zhelaizhai is a village on the edge of the Gobi desert in Gansu province, China. The area was renamed after Liqian, an ancient county, and is located in Jiaojiazhuang township, Yongchang County. Some of the modern-day residents of Zhelaizhai, now known as Liqian village, have been suspected to be descendants of a group of Roman soldiers that were never accounted for after being captured in the Battle of Carrhae. Although this story has been seized upon by some area residents, recent authorities have shown that the notion has serious shortcomings.