Taicang Maritime Granary Ruins

Taicang Maritime Granary Ruins

The Taicang Maritime Granary Ruins are a key national cultural heritage site under state protection.

The Maritime Granary Ruins (Taicang Maritime Granary Ruins) are located in the southern suburbs of Chengxiang Town, Taicang City, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, on the south bank of the Xinliu River and east of the Yantie Pond. They belong to a Yuan Dynasty site, situated between Renmin South Road and Taiping South Road. The area around the ruins features an extensive network of rivers, offering exceptionally rich water resources. To the south is the Old Liu River, to the north the New Liu River, and to the west the Yantie Pond. To the north of the ruins lies an orchard, to the southwest the former NANJIao Town, and to the east residential communities. It consists of two rectangular earthen platforms, elevated about 0.5–1.5 meters above the ground and now rather indistinct. Investigations and collected artifacts, including the bases of Longquan kiln porcelain bowls and celadon shards from the Yuan and Ming dynasties, confirm the historical existence of the so-called “Maritime Granary.”

Historical records indicate that the Maritime Granary was initially built in the Yuan Dynasty and expanded during the Ming Dynasty. It primarily stored grain collected from regions across southern China before transporting it to the capital and Liaodong for military provisions. During the Ming Dynasty, the scale of the Maritime Granary reached “919 rooms storing 700,000 dan of grain.” The excavation of the Maritime Granary Ruins today provides material evidence for historical texts. It not only verifies the origin of Taicang’s title as the “Granary of the World,” but also confirms the history of coordinated maritime transport between northern and southern China over 700 years ago. Cultural relics experts regard the Maritime Granary Ruins as the most significant discovery in Taicang to date, signifying great historical importance.

In May 2013, it was designated as part of the seventh batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level by the State Council.

Chengxiang Town: Chengxiang Town is the seat of the Taicang municipal government and serves as the political, economic, and cultural center of the city. The town covers an area of 126 square kilometers, has a permanent population of 150,000, and administers 4 subdistrict offices, 23 community committees, and 6 administrative villages. The terrain in Chengxiang is flat, the climate pleasant, making it a fertile land of fish and rice, a place rich in cultural heritage, and an emerging industrial town in the Yangtze River Delta. In recent years, it has been honored with titles such as Jiangsu Province Civilized Town, National Sanitary Town, and Jiangsu Province Model Community.

Chengxiang Town enjoys uniquely superior geographical advantages, being only... Chengxiang Town detailed information++

Further reading:

· Seventh Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level