Anshan Sand Dune Site

Anshan Sand Dune Site

The Anshan Sand Dune Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Period: Shang to Zhou Dynasties

Located on the northeastern side of Yancuo Village Group, Kengbian Village, Shenhu Town, Jinjiang City, Fujian Province, Anshan is a low sand dune formed by wind deposition. Geomorphologically, it belongs to the coastal dune type. In recent years, it has been incorporated into a newly developed industrial park. The original site area is estimated to have exceeded 200,000 square meters, but now more than half of it has been leveled, with the remaining area being approximately 20,000 square meters. The cultural content mainly consists of Bronze Age remains, which can be divided into two periods: the 5th and 6th strata represent the first period, while the 4th stratum represents the second. A number of cultural artifacts such as pottery, stone tools, jade artifacts, bone tools, and bronze ware were unearthed. In addition, a small number of cultural relics from the Qin-Han, Tang-Song, and Ming-Qing periods were also found in the upper cultural layers from different time periods. The architectural remains and cultural artifacts discovered at the Anshan site exhibit unique regional characteristics, greatly enriching the archaeological cultural content of the Bronze Age in Fujian Province and even the southeastern coastal regions of China. Currently, many sand dune sites discovered in Guangdong and Hong Kong are found on dunes or sand ridges formed by hydrodynamic forces, which are quite different from the Anshan site. Therefore, the discovery of the Anshan site not only holds high academic value for archaeology itself, but also serves as a rare and important location for the study of environmental changes along the southeastern coast since the Holocene. The excavation of a wind-deposited sand dune site is the first of its kind in Fujian Province, and the archaeological excavation methods used at the Anshan site have accumulated important experience for the future discovery, excavation, and protection of similar sites in the province. In May 2013, it was designated and announced by the State Council as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Kengbian Village: Origins of Villagers: Legend has it that when people from the Jin Dynasty entered Fujian to develop this area, there was an ancient kiln pit where a human settlement once lived nearby, hence the name. It was also once called Jingbin because the area was close to the Tokyo Road. In 1952, it was split from Sanshan Township to form a brigade, and in 1984, the brigade was disbanded to establish the village. Kengbian Village is located in the southeastern part of Shenhu Town, with a total land area of about 1,800 mu and a population of around 1,600. The village administers four natural villages: Ludong, Luhou, Yancuo, and Shexia, among which Yancuo and Shexia retain the names of ancient Yue and She ethnic settlements. The most fascinating attraction in Kengbian Village is the “Jingbin Ancient Holy Temple”... More details about Kengbian Village++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Fujian Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units