Yehu Tribe City Site

Yehu Tribe City Site

The Yehu Tribe City Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Yehu Tribe City Site is located 30 kilometers southeast of Siping City, Jilin Province. It was the ancient city of the Yehu Tribe, one of the four Hulun tribes of the Haixi Jurchen people in the late Ming Dynasty, built during the mid-to-late Ming period. The royal city consists of two parts: the eastern and western cities, as well as the Shangjianfu City. All three are situated near Laoyemiao Village in the western part of Yehu Manchu Town, Lishu County, distributed in a triangular formation “about a li apart.” The eastern and western cities face each other across the Yehu River, while Shangjianfu City is located south of the eastern city.

Shangjianfu City, also known as Shanyanwohe City, refers to the White Stone Mountain City. Its layout is rectangular, consisting of an inner and an outer city.

The western city is called “Yehizhai,” and because it was built earlier than the eastern city and is located on the western bank of the Yehu River, it is referred to as the old city or western city. Construction began in the 13th year of the Ming Jiajing era (1534), and it was abandoned in the 47th year of the Wanli era (1619), having been in use for over 80 years. The ancient city includes both an outer and an inner city. The outer city is backed by mountains on three sides and faces water on one side, with an oval layout; the inner city wall is constructed from a mix of earth and stone, featuring three city gates, with a mountain-cut barbican gate on the western wall.

The eastern city was originally called “Taizhuzhai,” and because it was built later than the western city and is located on the eastern bank of the Yehu River, it is referred to as the new city or eastern city, taking an oval shape. It was first built in the 25th year of the Ming Jiajing era (1547) and was abandoned in the 47th year of the Wanli era (1619) along with the western city of Yehu, having been used for over 70 years. The ancient city has both an inner and an outer city. The outer city is surrounded by water on three sides and backed by a mountain on one side, featuring a rounded square layout, with walls made of piled earth and stone and a total perimeter of 3,500 meters.

The Yehu Tribe City is one of the few remaining ancient sites from the later period of the Jurchen people, with a small number of pottery, porcelain fragments, and construction materials preserved within the city.

In May 2006, the Yehu Tribe City Site was announced by the State Council as part of the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units