Yawei Island Site

Yawei Island Site

Yawei Island Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Yawei Island

Yawei Island is located over 100 kilometers northeast of Baoqing County in Heilongjiang Province, on the southern bank of the Naoli River, within the territory of the Fourth Sub-farm of the 853 Farm. It is an uninhabited island surrounded by the Naoli River, Baoqing River, and Jingmian Lake, covering an area of about 200 square kilometers.

In recent years, archaeologists have discovered that Yawei Island was a fortified settlement from the Iron Age, named the “Yawei Island Ancient City.” The ancient city is square-shaped, with a perimeter of 841 meters. The remaining sections of the city wall stand about 1 meter high, with a base width of 13 meters and a top width of 3 meters. The southern wall has a gate, which includes a barbican. The walls were built using rammed earth and wooden planks. Surrounding the city are moats, 4 meters wide and 2 meters deep. About 30 meters north of the city lies an ancient tomb cluster, where artifacts such as polished bone fish darts, iron knives, handmade black pottery jars, and red-coated pottery fragments have been unearthed. These tombs are believed to be from the same period as the ancient city. The site has been listed as a Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Site.

In the past, the area was surrounded by water on three sides and marshland on the other, with few inhabitants and frequent wildlife sightings. The abundant water sources supported a large fish population. This gave rise to the local saying: “Beat a roe deer with a stick, scoop fish with a ladle, and pheasants fly straight into your cooking pot.” During spring, summer, and autumn, the island was lush with grass and dense willows. Migratory birds such as wild geese, cranes, and swans nested and bred there. As seasons changed, flocks of geese came and went, creating a spectacular sight. Over time, people began to call this place “Yawei Island,” meaning “Wild Goose Nest Island.”

Though called an island, it is actually a vast expanse of marshland. In March 1957, General - led 100,000 soldiers to the Great Northern Wilderness and established the reclamation team of the 853 Farm here. They waded into the island and set up camp. On October 1, the Yawei Island Sub-farm was officially established. With great perseverance, the reclamation workers tamed the “marshland” and “bean paste pits,” cultivating over 20,000 acres of land and partially sowing crops that year. A movie reflecting the reclamation efforts, “People of the Great Northern Wilderness,” helped make Yawei Island famous across China. In 1961, a national leader personally inscribed the name “Yawei Island,” which is still engraved on the entrance gate to the island. After decades of river diversion, dredging, bridge building, road construction, afforestation, canal digging, and farming development, the once impassable marsh became accessible, and the fertile land turned into productive farmland, making it a renowned reclamation area.

In 1997, Yawei Island became a National Nature Wetland Reserve, gradually resuming its ecological role in protecting the environment.

Address: Northeastern part of Baoqing County, Heilongjiang Province

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units