Diaper Beach Site

Diaper Beach Site

The Diaper Beach Site is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Diaper Beach Site is located on the southern shore of Dongfeng Lake, east of Zhuying in Zhao Fu Village, Mingguang Subdistrict, Mingguang City, Anhui Province. Covering an area of about 500 square meters with a cultural layer approximately 2 meters thick, the site boasts rich cultural remains. Legend has it that after Zhu Yuanzhang was born at Yunlongji in Zhao Fu, Mingguang City, his family set up a temporary shelter at Zhudun, about two li north of Yunlongji. His mother, Lady Chen, often dried baby diapers on the beach, hence the name “Diaper Beach,” which has been used ever since.

In May 1985, during an on-site survey, over 20 specimens were collected, including three sand-tempered pottery li tripod leg fragments with heights of 8.5 cm, 8.2 cm, and 7 cm respectively; one gray clay pottery li tripod leg; as well as rim and base fragments of gray pottery basins and jars. The decorative patterns mainly consist of fine cord marks, raised square grids, string patterns, mat patterns, and others. Additionally, one flat stone spade fragment was found, featuring a round hole in the center, measuring 6 cm in length and 5.8 cm in width. The stone spade is finely polished on both sides and bears circular spot-like markings. Also discovered were one piece of charred animal bone, one pottery spinning whorl, and a large area of red burned soil. The site has not been formally excavated and its features remain largely intact. Based on the collected specimens, it is identified as a Shang Dynasty site.

According to the Records of Xuyi County – The Emperor’s Hometown, the Diaper Beach was originally called “Zhudun” before the Ming Dynasty. To its north lies Dongfeng Lake, covering nearly 2,100 mu of water surface, which was newly created after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Before the reservoir was filled, it was merely a channel section of the middle reaches of the Chihe River. During the late Yuan and early Ming periods, it was called Guqijian, also commonly known as Guci Jian. The Chihe River is a first-level tributary of the Huaihe River mainstream, originating from Feidong, passing through Dingyuan and Mingguang before entering Nushan Lake and then flowing into the Huaihe River. It is about 183 km long with a drainage area of approximately 5,021 square kilometers. The section of the Chihe River within Mingguang City’s jurisdiction is part of the river’s middle and lower reaches, stretching about 74 km with a drainage area of 1,743 square kilometers.

Legend has it that after Zhu Yuanzhang was born at Yunlongji in Zhao Fu, Mingguang City, his family set up a temporary shelter at Zhudun, about two li north of Yunlongji. His mother, Lady Chen, often dried baby diapers on the beach, hence the name “Diaper Beach,” which has been used ever since. Due to its elevated terrace-like appearance, the Diaper Beach Site is especially suitable for human farming and habitation. Layers of land near the water on its northern side frequently yield ceramic fragments from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Today, the site is used as farmland, proving that it has been a place of frequent human activity from the Shang Dynasty onward, through the Ming and right up to the present.