Liulihe Site

Liulihe Site

The Liulihe Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Liulihe Site is located on a terrace by the Da Shi River, 1.5 kilometers north of Liulihe Town in Fangshan District, Beijing.

The site covers an area of about 5 million square meters. A city site was found in Dongjialin Village, with over 800 meters of the northern wall remaining and more than 300 meters of the eastern and western walls identified. The walls were built from rammed earth, 10 meters wide, and exceptionally solid. There is a moat around the city walls, and the interior is dotted with dense house foundations. In the southeastern part of the city lies an aristocratic cemetery covering over 50,000 square meters, where more than 200 tombs have been excavated to date. Many large tombs are accompanied by burial pits and chariot graves, yielding a large number of precious cultural relics including bronze ware, jade artifacts, and bone implements. Many bronze items bear inscriptions such as “?] (Yan) Hou,” documenting historical events such as the Yan lord bestowing cowrie shells and servants. The inscription on the “Dong Tripod” records that the “?] Hou” sent “Dong” to Zongzhou to present food to the Grand Tutor and receive rewards, confirming the historical fact that in the early Western Zhou period, Duke Shao enfeoffed his eldest son in Yan while he himself assisted the royal court in Zongzhou, as well as the frequent official interactions between the State of Yan and the Zhou royal court.

The site spans approximately 5 million square meters. Within Dongjialin Village, a city site was discovered, with over 800 meters of the northern wall remaining and over 300 meters of the eastern and western walls identified. The walls were constructed from rammed earth, 10 meters wide, and extremely solid. Surrounding the walls was a moat, and the interior featured densely distributed house foundations. In the southeastern part of the city lies an aristocratic burial ground covering more than 50,000 square meters. To date, over 200 tombs have been excavated, many of which include large tombs accompanied by burial pits and chariot graves. A significant number of valuable cultural relics such as bronze ware, jade artifacts, and bone tools have been unearthed. Many bronze items bear inscriptions such as “?] (Yan) Hou,” recording instances of Yan lords granting cowrie shells and servants. The inscription on the “Dong Tripod” documents how the “?] Hou” dispatched “Dong” to Zongzhou to offer food to the Grand Tutor and receive rewards, confirming the early Western Zhou historical fact that Duke Shao of Zhou enfeoffed his eldest son in Yan while he himself remained in Zongzhou to assist the royal court, as well as the frequent official exchanges between the State of Yan and the Zhou royal court.

The Liulihe Site is the ruins of the capital of the State of Yan during the early Western Zhou Dynasty. This discovery is of great significance for exploring the early history of Yan. (National Cultural Heritage Administration)

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units in Beijing

· Third Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units