Ruins of Yao’s Hometown

Ruins of Yao’s Hometown

The Ruins of Yao’s Hometown is a cultural tourism attraction.

To the south of Yuyao lies Gouyu Mountain (present-day Siming Mountain), and to the north flows the Yao River. The place name is formed by combining the names of the mountain and the river. According to historical records such as “Shiji·Zhengyi” and “Shiji·Suo Yin,” in Yuyao County of Yuezhou there is the Lishan Well of Emperor Shun, as well as Yao’s Hometown — the birthplace of Emperor Shun. On some occasions, Shun would go fishing at sea and dry his fishing nets on Lishan, which is therefore also known as “Net-Drying Mountain.”

Huang Zongxi also noted: “Both Yuyao and Shangyu counties today derive their names from Shun. The river that flows through Yuyao is called the Yao River, also known as the Shun River. In Yuyao there is Lishan, and in Shangyu there is Wodeng Mountain, named after Shun’s mother. There is also Xiangtian (Elephant Field), where ancient pottery is often unearthed while plowing. The relics of Shun are most abundant in these two counties. However, it is generally believed that Shun was born in Yuyao, which is why Mencius referred to him as ‘a man of the East.’”

Based on the above classical texts, along with an examination of the local geography of Yuyao, it can be reasonably concluded that Shun was born at Zhufeng, at the eastern foot of Yao Hill by the Yao River, hence his family name “Yao.” After the death of Emperor Yao, Yao (Shun) ascended the throne. Professor Shi Shuqing, then Vice Chairman of the National Cultural Relics Appraisal Committee, specially inscribed “Ruins of Yao’s Hometown” for Yuyao, which was engraved on a stone stele at the eastern foot of Longquan Mountain.

Yuyao was established as a county early on. In the 37th year of the reign of Qin Shi Huang (210 BC), when the First Emperor traveled eastward into Zhejiang and reached Kuaiji, he divided the counties of eastern Zhejiang and established Yuyao County. During the Han Dynasty, Yuyao belonged to Kuaiji Commandery; during the Sui and Tang dynasties, it was part of Yuezhou; in the Northern Song Dynasty, it was under the jurisdiction of the Two Zhejiang East Route; from the Southern Song to the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, it was successively governed by Shaoxing Prefecture; it now belongs to Ningbo City. In the fifth year of the Jian’an era of the Eastern Han Dynasty (200), Sun Quan of the Eastern Wu appointed Zhu Ran as the Magistrate of Yuyao and built the North City of Yuyao. By the 36th year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1577), the South City of Yuyao was additionally constructed for defense against Japanese pirates, forming a configuration where the North and South Cities flanked the Yao River.