Ruins of the Wuyue City from the Jin Dynasty

Ruins of the Wuyue City from the Jin Dynasty

The Ruins of the Wuyue City from the Jin Dynasty is a cultural heritage site protected by Heilongjiang Province.

About two li north along Tongjiang Road, shaded by willows and poplars in Yilan County, stands a two-meter-high stone stele on the left side of the road, inscribed with the words “Ruins of the Wuyue City from the Jin Dynasty.” A few more steps westward will take you into the territory of the Liao and Jin Dynasties from 800 years ago. Historical records indicate that the site where Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong of the Northern Song Dynasty were “imprisoned in a well to view the sky” is located here.

The Wuyue City was one of the five Wuyue tribal (city) regions during the Liao Dynasty. Since Yilan was the ancient land of the Yueliji tribe, located at the westernmost part of the five Wuyue regions and serving as the alliance city, it was referred to as the “Head City of the Five Wuyue,” or Yilan Wuyue City. In 1956, it was designated as a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit. Today, only remnants of the city walls remain. Judging from the wall outlines, the city was rectangular, measuring 850 meters in length, 450 meters in width, with a perimeter of 2,600 meters; the walls were 5 meters high, 10 meters wide at the base, and 1.5 meters wide at the top. Due to the long period of destruction, the exact locations of the city gates can no longer be verified.

In the early years of the Jingkang era (1126), Jin troops captured the Eastern Capital (present-day Kaifeng, Henan), taking Emperor Huizong, Emperor Qinzong, and over 3,000 members of the imperial clan northward. In 1130 (the fourth year of the Jianyan era of the Southern Song Dynasty), they arrived at Hulu of the Jin State, now known as Yilan Wuyue City, beginning their long and humiliating life of being “imprisoned in a well to view the sky.” It was not until 1135 (the fifth year of the Shaoxing era of the Song Dynasty) and 1156 (the 26th year of the Shaoxing era) that Emperors Huizong and Qinzong died in Wuyue City, bringing an end to this famous tragedy in Chinese history.

Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty had a deep love for painting and calligraphy from childhood and was a renowned master of meticulous-style landscape and flower-and-bird paintings. Some of his artworks are still treasured in the Palace Museum in Beijing. His calligraphic style, known as “Slender Gold,” broke new ground and developed into a unique school, gaining fame both in China and abroad. This emperor, known for his romantic indulgence and exceptional talent, was reduced to being a prisoner, filled with depression and indignation. Amidst his sorrow, he composed many poems and lyrics, all of which were melancholic works. The widely circulated poem “Brokenhearted Longing” reveals the loneliness and sorrow of this “romantic emperor,” his longing to return home but being unable to do so: “All night the west wind shakes the broken door, / A lonely figure in the desolate gloom, a dim lamp’s light. / Gazing homeward, three thousand li away, / My eyes search the southern sky—no wild geese in flight.” His another work, “Pavilion of Wild Geese,” also known as “Seeing Apricot Blossoms on the Northern Journey,” is equally poignant:

Cut from icy sheer silk, lightly folded in layers, / With faint rouge applied in cold tones. / A new style of glamorous adornment, radiating beauty and fragrance, / Makes the fairy maidens of the Flower Palace blush with shame. / Too easily they fade, battered by countless ruthless winds and rains. / How sorrowful it is to ask—how many times has spring passed in this desolate courtyard? / I entrust my heavy sorrows of parting to these swallows, / But how could they understand human speech? / The skies are vast, the earth far, separated by endless waters and mountains. / Where is our former palace? How can I not think of it? / Except in dreams, when I sometimes go back. / But even dreams have lately failed me—unreliable as they are.

This poem expresses the author’s longing for the luxurious life of the former imperial court through the description of the blooming and fading of apricot blossoms. It is said that this was one of the last works composed by Emperor Huizong during his captivity.

The legend about Emperors Huizong and Qinzong being “imprisoned in a well to view the sky” has always attracted public attention, with many versions of the story. One claims they were held in the courtyard (i.e., the central yard) of the local government office building, but this does not match the facts. The story of “being imprisoned in a well to view the sky” took place 800 years ago, when there was no government office building, let alone brick-and-tile houses, in Yilan. If they had been confined in such a courtyard, how could they have survived the severe winter with temperatures dropping to around minus 40 degrees Celsius? Another version says they were jailed in a dry well in the backyard of the office of the Deputy Commander of Sanxing. Historical records mention that a large number of people were taken along with the emperors, and that they had opportunities to meet; the History of Jin also states that the Jin court provided them with stipends, food, and clothing. All signs suggest that the story of Emperor Huizong being “kept in a well” is not credible. Moreover, Yilan at that time did not have good housing structures, and living conditions must have been quite harsh. It is more plausible that the two emperors lived in underground dugouts or crude houses, as hinted in his poems with descriptions of “shattered doors” and “a dim lamp.” “Being imprisoned in a well to view the sky” can only be taken as a metaphor.

The defeat of a once-mighty feudal empire by the slave-owning Jin Dynasty is bound to provoke deep reflection. The lingering spirits of Emperors Huizong and Qinzong, nearly a thousand years later, may still have much to lament. In any case, today we will use artistic means to recreate the smoke and fire of ancient battlefields, inspiring people to reflect on history and take action toward realizing the centuries-old dream of national strength for the Chinese people.

Transportation Guide

Location: Two kilometers north of Tongjiang Road, Yilan County, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province

By Bus: Take a bus from Harbin to Yilan County, then transfer to a minibus or taxi to reach the site.

By Car: Starting from Harbin, drive 252.1 km on the Harbin-Tongjiang Expressway, exit at Yilan, turn left immediately onto S308 and drive 530 m, turn right onto Tongjiang Road and drive 330 m, turn left onto Nanba Street and drive 520 m, turn right and drive 790 m, then enter Wuguo City Road and drive 3.4 km, turn left and drive 390 m, go straight onto S101 to reach the destination.