Dongcheng Ruins

Dongcheng Ruins

The Dongcheng Ruins are a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Anhui Province.

The Dongcheng Ruins are located in Youfang Village, Sanguanji, Daqiao Town, Dingyuan County, Anhui Province. According to the *Dingyuan County Annals* compiled by Gao He during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, there is a site of the ancient Dongcheng about 50 li southeast of the county seat. The remains of the former Sanguanji city are clearly visible, featuring both inner and outer walls.

The inner wall is one and a half li from east to west and one li from north to south, with its surrounding foundation rising about one chi above ground level. The corner watchtowers stand approximately five meters high, and the surrounding moat is around ten chi deep. Throughout the site, there are scattered remnants of fine-patterned bricks and tiles from the Qin and Han dynasties, and more than 70 ancient wells are found within the city. Farmers have unearthed many artifacts from the Qin and Han periods at the site, and local households often possess collections of ancient utensils. The outer wall also forms a rectangle, measuring three li from east to west and two li from north to south, with fragmented sections of its foundation still faintly visible. Bricks from the Qin period can still be spotted, and tiles from the Han era are abundant on the ground. Numerous Han tombs surround the ancient site. In 1975, a Han tomb was excavated southeast of Laoyin Village. Inside the stone coffin were a sword, bronze tripod, Han-era wuzhu coins, and copper cloth currency issued during the Wang Mang period, inscribed with the characters “大黄布千” (Great Yellow Cloth Thousand). In the same year, farmers from Xiaolihu also uncovered a group of Warring States period tombs, though unfortunately, some unearthed relics were damaged or lost. Historical records state that until the late Qing Dynasty, a *Wucheng Stele*, erected when Wang Mang renamed Dongcheng to Wucheng, still stood at the site. Locals say that in the early years of the Republic of China, this stele was relocated and buried under the foundation of a temple by the Wang Huazhai family of Dawang Village. Before liberation, there was an Ancheng Temple at the northeast corner of the ruins, where a private school had once been operated. The name “Ancheng,” used by locals, refers to the ancient Anzhou City from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, which was built upon the ruins of the Qin and Han-era Dongcheng.

The city is square-shaped, with each side measuring 380 meters. The wall foundation is 3.5 meters wide, with remaining heights of 1.2 meters, and the remaining gate is 25 meters wide. Historical records indicate that the city was established during the Qin Dynasty. In 202 BC, Xiang Yu retreated to Dongcheng after being defeated. During the Western Han Dynasty, Dongcheng was part of the Jiujang Commandery; in the Eastern Han, it belonged to the Xiapi Kingdom; during the Jin Dynasties, it was under the Huainan Commandery. In the Liang Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties, Anzhou City was established on the original site, which was later abandoned. In 524 AD, Dingyuan County was founded, with its county seat set in Dongcheng. This remained the case until 745 AD in the fourth year of the Tang Dynasty’s Tianbao era, when the county seat was moved to its current location. Having endured a thousand years of history, Dongcheng has been relatively well-preserved. Discoveries both inside and outside the city, including pottery wells, pottery ware, and bronze items, provide valuable physical evidence for the study of ancient urban historical development.

Protected area: 50 meters to the east, 70 meters to the south, 70 meters to the west, and 50 meters to the north beyond the city wall.

Construction control zone: 40 meters outward from the protected area on the east, south, west, and north sides.

Daqiao Town: Located 30 kilometers southeast of Dingcheng, Daqiao Town borders Zhangguang Town of Chuzhou City to the east and Feidong County to the south, covering a total area of 82.6 square kilometers. The town is named after Daqiaoji, an ancient market settlement. It acquired its name due to a large stone bridge that once spanned the Beichi River along the main street, hence the name “Daqiao” (Big Bridge). The town center was relocated to Mengjiagang in 1980. The current Daqiao Town was formed in 2001 through the merger of Daqiao and Yihexiang, and was officially upgraded from a township to a town in April 2007. The town administers eight administrative villages: Daqiao Village, Sanguan Village, Xiaogang Village, Anzi Village, Dash Village, Yihexiang... (Detailed information on Daqiao Town++)