Horse-Taming Terrace

Horse-Taming Terrace

Horse-Taming Terrace is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

One of the oldest existing historical sites in Xuzhou. In 206 BC, the legendary hero Xiang Yu, after defeating the Qin Dynasty, declared himself the Hegemon-King of Western Chu and established his capital at Pengcheng. On a hill about a mile south of the city, he built an imposing terrace to watch his cavalry horses, hence the name Horse-Taming Terrace. Over the dynasties, numerous structures were erected on the terrace, such as the Terrace Head Temple, Three Brothers Temple, Temple of Eminent Officials, Juji Academy, Songcui Mountain House, and Stele Pavilion.

• It is one of the oldest existing historical sites in Xuzhou, built along the terrain of the hill, rising step by step in a well-arranged layout.

Attraction Introduction

Horse-Taming Terrace is one of the oldest existing historical sites in Xuzhou. In 206 BC, the legendary hero Xiang Yu, after defeating the Qin Dynasty, declared himself the Hegemon-King of Western Chu and established his capital at Pengcheng. On a hill about a mile south of the city, he built an imposing terrace to watch his cavalry horses, hence the name Horse-Taming Terrace.

The terrace is built along the hill’s contour, rising progressively in a staggered arrangement. Over the dynasties, various buildings were constructed on the site, including the Terrace Head Temple, Three Brothers Temple, Temple of Eminent Officials, Juji Academy, Songcui Mountain House, and the Stele Pavilion. On the terrace’s northern side are attractions such as the Curved Corridor, Zuis heng Pavilion, Jicui Pavilion, as well as the Horse-Tethering Stake and the Bird-Zhu Feeding Trough. The curved corridor houses over 50 stone inscriptions engraved with poems about the terrace by literati throughout history.

The Horse-Taming Hall is the main building, surrounded by corridors, with 24 red pillars standing in a circle around it and carved floral window lattices on all sides. The central screen depicts the scene “Autumn Wind and Horse-Taming,” illustrating Xiang Yu watching his soldiers practice cavalry maneuvers with his consort Yu Ji by his side. The eastern side chamber features a mural composed of 144 carved and fired square and rectangular bricks of varying sizes, measuring 9 meters in length and 2 meters in height. The scene of Xiang Zhuang dancing with a sword depicts the tense atmosphere of the Feast at Hongmen. The western side chamber showcases a large mural portraying the sorrowful farewell between the Hegemon-King and his beloved concubine after his defeat at Gaixia.

Due to its elevated position, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the ancient city from the terrace, making it a great scenic spot in downtown Xuzhou.

Transportation

Take bus No. 19 from the train station and get off at Horse-Taming Terrace.

Address: No. 1 Xiangwang Road, Hubu Mountain, Yunlong District, Xuzhou

Type: Historical Site / Historic Architecture

Recommended Visiting Time: 1–2 hours

Tel: 0516-83827740

Opening Hours:

Summer: 8:30–17:00, Winter: 8:30–16:30