Chengcun Han City Ruins

Chengcun Han City Ruins

The Chengcun Han City Ruins are a national key cultural relics protection unit.

The Chengcun Han City Ruins are located 1 kilometer southwest of Chengcun Village, Xingtian Town, Wuyishan City, Fujian Province, and are a national key cultural relics protection unit.

The ancient Han city ruins are situated on undulating hilly terrain, with the city site taking a rectangular shape. It stretches 860 meters from north to south and 550 meters from east to west, covering a total area of 480,000 square meters. The city is surrounded by the Chongxi Stream on its eastern, western, and northern sides, nestled against the mountains and near the water, offering beautiful scenery. The city walls were built along the contours of the hills using rammed earth, with remnants standing 4 to 8 meters high. The eastern and western sections of the wall retain three gaps that served as gates in ancient times.

Outside the city lies a moat. Excavations have revealed that the city contains multiple sites including palaces, pavilions, barracks, residences, iron smelting workshops, pottery kilns, and tombs. A group of palace ruins on the central high platform includes a main gate, courtyards, the main hall, side halls, wing rooms, corridors, a courtyard, a well, and drainage pipes. The buildings face south with symmetrical layouts on both sides, featuring a rigorous design that is distinctly different from the urban layouts of the plains at the time—it represents the unique stilt-style architecture of the Jiangnan region.

The ancient city’s drainage system was constructed using natural slopes and valleys, implementing separate channels for rainwater and sewage. Its planning is remarkably rational and natural, which is quite astonishing. The more than 40,000 unearthed artifacts, which exhibit strong Han Dynasty characteristics, indicate that over two thousand years ago, Fujian already possessed relatively advanced metallurgical casting and pottery craftsmanship.

Some scholars believe that the Chengcun Han City was the temporary palace of Yu Shan, the King of Minyue, while others speculate that it was a military fortress established by Emperor Wu of Han after pacifying Minyue. Whether either view is correct, and how the city rose and declined, still await further research.

Xingtian Town is located in the southern part of Wuyishan City. To the southeast, it borders Jiangkou Township of Jianyang County; to the west, it neighbors Xingcun Town; and to the north, it adjoins Wuyi Subdistrict Office and Shangmei Township. The town center, Xingtian Village, is 39 kilometers from the county seat. The terrain is gently sloping, and the Chongyang Stream flows through Xingtian Town before joining the Chenghu Stream and Wufu Stream, flowing onward to Jianyang.

In ancient times, Xingtian Town was known as Fengyang Li. Because it served as a post station on the Fujian–Jiangxi transport route, a Huangting Post was built here, and so the village also became known by the name of the post, called Huangting Market or Huangting Street. In the Yuan Dynasty, a patrol inspection town was established, and in the Ming Dynasty, a patrol inspection office was set up, formally establishing the town. During the Jiajing era, the Xingtian Water Post was relocated here and named Xingtian, a name that continued into the Qing Dynasty.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it was called the Third District of Chongan County. In September 1958, it was named Weixing Commune; in 1960, it was renamed Xingtian Commune; in 1984, it became Xingtian Township; and in 1990, it was upgraded to Xingtian Town. The town governs 14 administrative villages, 120 natural villages, and 225 villager groups. The total area of the town is 353.33 square kilometers, with cultivated land spanning 53,123 mu, including 51,362 mu of paddy fields.

After 1978, the development of township enterprises accelerated, with new ventures such as a flooring mill, a refined tea factory, a calcium carbide plant, and a tri-generation power station—this power station has an installed capacity of 3,200 kilowatts, making it one of the largest township power stations in the province. There is currently one middle school, 61 primary schools, and medical facilities such as health centers and clinics spread across the villages.

Further reading:

· Fourth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units

Wuyishan Scenic Area

Da’anyuan Ecotourism Area

Dahongpao Scenic Area

China Wuyishan Tea Expo Park

Nine Bend Stream

Qinglong Waterfall

Wuyi Royal Poinciana Self-Drive Theme Park

Wuyi Water Curtain Cave

Dawang Peak

Wuyi One-Line Sky

Wuyi Palace

Tiger Roaring Rock

Cloud Nest

Wuyi Jade Valley

Imperial Tea Garden Ruins

Jade Dragon Valley

Memorial Hall of Liu Yong

Baiyun Rock of Mount Wuyi