The city consisted of two fortresses built from clay. While much of the structure has collapsed, the eastern and northern sections of the northern fortress remain visible. The remaining walls stand four meters high and measure two meters thick. The small holes dotting the fortress are believed to have served as observation posts for monitoring activity from within. The northern fortress once housed a grand temple surrounded by lions.

The Baibalik ruins lie 14 kilometers from Khutag-Öndör's center. The site has been protected by the state as a historical landmark since 1998.

Like many archaeological sites across Mongolia, the Baibalik ruins represent both a Xiongnu fortress and an important Uyghur city. The Mongols habitually repurposed earlier fortresses, making it challenging for archaeologists to isolate exclusively Xiongnu remains.

In the Saikhan district of Bulgan Province, a stele inscription commemorates the founding of Baibalik, attributed to Uyghur King Myunchur. At line 44, it states:

Historians believe the city was built by King Myunchur and became a meeting point for numerous Tajik and Chinese merchants, as well as Manichaean preachers. A flourishing settlement, it was regarded as a cultural center of Central Asia.

The city was destroyed by the Kyrgyz in 840, when all Buddhist sutras housed there were burned.