Shouchun City Ruins in Lu'an

Shouchun City Ruins in Lu'an

The Shouchun City Ruins are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Shouchun City Ruins are located within Shouchun Town, Chengguan District, Shouxian County, and Jiulong Township to the south of the city. As the last capital of the Chu State during the Warring States period, Shouchun City boasts an exceptionally rich collection of Chu cultural relics.

The ruins are laid out in a neat and orderly grid, covering a total area of 26.35 square kilometers, making it second in size only to the Yanxia Capital. The city is bordered by water on its eastern, western, and northern sides, with a smaller southwestern city to the south. Inside the city, the area is divided into 15 rectangular zones, each featuring a systematically planned network of waterways. This urban layout is quite unique when compared to other contemporary state capitals. Significant tombs excavated here include the Tomb of King You of Chu and the Tomb of Marquis Cai, among which the Tomb of King You of Chu is the largest, most accurately dated, and richest in unearthed artifacts among all Chu tombs excavated in China to date. It is also the only confirmed tomb of a Chu king. Over 4,000 artifacts were unearthed, including more than 1,000 bronze items, with the large Chu Tripod weighing approximately 400 kilograms.

Shouxian County is one of China’s famous historical and cultural cities, with Shouchun serving as its county seat. In 241 BC, King Kaolie of Chu moved the capital from Chen to Shouchun. The ancient city of Shouchun is renowned both domestically and internationally for its captivating combination of famous mountains, rivers, historic sites, and notable figures.

Historically a military stronghold, Shouchun is situated at the foot of Bagong Mountain along the Huai River’s northern bank, with the Fei River flowing around the city. Known historically as Shouchun, Shouyang, or Shouzhou, it has a history of over 2,000 years. The ancient city wall of Shouchun is the best-preserved city wall from the Song Dynasty in China and is also a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. The existing wall was rebuilt during the Xining era of the Northern Song Dynasty. It features a stone base and brick walls, standing 8.33 meters high, with a top width of 6–10 meters and a total circumference of 7,147 meters. The enclosed area covers 3.65 square kilometers. The city has four gates, each inscribed with their names: East – Binyang Gate, South – Tongfei Gate, West – Dinghu Gate, and North – Jinghuai Gate. The ancient city wall forms a complete defensive system consisting of barbicans, city gates, moats, drawbridges, corner towers, battlements, as well as observation holes and arrow slits in the crenellations. During the age of cold weapons, it was praised as a “fortress as solid as iron” or “impregnable,” and historically referred to as the “Ironclad Shouzhou City.” In 1991, when a massive flood struck, Shouxian County was besieged by the waters, with devastation all around the city, yet the urban area remained unscathed.

Shouxian County is home to a wealth of cultural relics. The Shouchun Chu Culture Museum, whose name was inscribed by [a notable figure], houses over 6,000 cultural relics dating from the Shang and Zhou dynasties to the Ming and Qing periods, including hundreds of national first- and second-class relics.

A hallmark of the ancient city of Shouchun is the peaceful coexistence of various religions within the same city, reflecting the inclusiveness and breadth of Chu culture. To the east of the city lies the renowned Jianghuai Buddhist temple, Baoying Temple (formerly known as Chongjiao Chan Temple or Dongchan Temple), which was first built during the Tang Dynasty’s Zhenguan era and has a history of over 1,300 years. At its peak, it housed hundreds of monks and boasted grand architectural scale. To the west is a Ming Dynasty mosque, the largest in East China. To the north on Bagong Mountain lies Simingshan Dihuang Palace, the Taoist center of the Jianghuai region. The city also hosts the Confucius Temple and a Christian church.

In the ancient city of Shouchun, visitors can admire historic structures such as the Prefecture Office, Kuiguang Pavilion, Pan Pond, Liudu Shrine, Zhuangyuan Mansion, and Jian Dao Alley. They can also hear beautiful legends and stories like “The Person Inside the Door,” “Greed Like a Snake Trying to Swallow an Elephant,” “Face the Drum, Opposite the Gong,” “Emperor Taizu Trapped in Southern Tang,” “Shi Miao Leaves the Calf,” and “Grass of Homesickness.” Additionally, they can sample local delicacies such as “Great Salvation Cake” and Bagong Mountain tofu.

Protected Area: East to the eastern embankment of the moat, south to the area north of Mingzhu Avenue, west to 50 meters west of the western city wall, north to the line along Manao Spring at the foot of Bagong Mountain, southeast to Huangjiazhuangzi, northwest to 400 meters west of Yanjiawei, and northeast to 1,500 meters outside the Shouxian city wall. The protected area of the southwestern small city extends 5 meters outward from the city wall.

Construction Control Zone: Outside the protected area, east to 10 meters east of the eastern embankment of the Fei River, south 50 meters, west to the line of Shouxihu Farm, and north to 50 meters outward from the ridge line of Bagong Mountain. The construction control zone of the southwestern small city extends 10 meters outward from all sides of the protected area.

Shouchun Town: Shouchun Town is the seat of the Shouxian County Party Committee and County Government, serving as the political, cultural, and economic hub of the county. It is also a National Historical and Cultural City designated by the State Council. Located on the southern bank of the middle reaches of the Huai River and backed by Bagong Mountain, which is associated with the legend of “one person attains enlightenment, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven,” the town faces the ancient battlefield of the Battle of Fei River and neighbors the coal city of Huainan to the east. Provincial highways S203, S301, and HeFu Road run through the town, providing convenient transportation. Once the ancient capital of the Chu State, the town has a long history and abundant tourism resources, including well-preserved Song Dynasty city walls and the largest Islamic mosque in East China... More details about Shouchun Town++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units