Zhuweicheng Ruins

Zhuweicheng Ruins

The Zhuweicheng Ruins are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Zhuweicheng Ruins are located on an earthen mound east of Hongguangtang Village, Daqiao Township, 9 kilometers southeast of Zhangshu City. This site was once inhabited by ancient settlers from the Jiangnan region over 4,500 years ago and is one of the earliest political, economic, and cultural centers in Jiangxi Province. According to the 1870 edition of the Qingjiang County Annals, locals "built the city to protect themselves," hence the name. It is even older than the ancient Loulan City in Xinjiang and the ruined Paestum in ancient Rome, and stands as one of the most well-preserved large-scale earthen cities from China’s early civilization period. In June 2001, it was designated as part of the fifth batch of “National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units” by the State Council.

The overall layout of the Zhuweicheng ruins is square-shaped, massive in scale, and remarkably well-preserved. It spans 410 meters from east to west and 360 meters from north to south, covering an area of approximately 140,000 square meters. The remnants of the ancient city walls reach a maximum height of over 20 meters and at least 4–6 meters. The walls were built from rammed earth and sandstone, with wild grass growing on the ruins, wide enough for three or four people to walk abreast. The layout shows that the site neighbors the Xiangxi River, a tributary of the Gan River, to the north and connects to vast plains to the south. An internal river system runs east-west through the city, linking inner and outer waterways, while a moat encircles the outer perimeter. Organized around the river, the eastern side was the residential zone, and the western side housed the upper-class structures of the time. Both the inner and outer city outlines are clearly defined.

The discovery of Zhuweicheng is credited to Mr. Rao Huiyuan, Jiangxi Province’s first archaeologist. In 1947, he led students from Zhangshu Middle School in archaeological surveys across Daqiao, Guanshang, and Dianxia. Upon arriving at the site, they found stone tools and pottery everywhere, leading them to believe it was an ancient dwelling place. In the early years after liberation, he wrote numerous articles and sent specimens to Beijing. Mr. Guo Moruo of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences was astonished to see these materials, noting how advanced the painted pottery culture of Jiangnan was. That same year, staff from the museums of Jiangxi Province and Qingjiang County (now Zhangshu), along with archaeology students and faculty from Peking University's History Department, conducted the first scientific excavation. Their findings were highly praised in the archaeological community. In 1977, with the participation of archaeology students and faculty from Xiamen University’s History Department, the museums of Jiangxi Province and Qingjiang County organized a second scientific excavation. Together, these two excavations uncovered a total area of 566 square meters, gradually drawing archaeological attention to Zhuweicheng due to its profound regional characteristics.

These two excavations unearthed a large number of artifacts and relics. Stone tools included axes, knives, and spades, while pottery items comprised tripods, jars, plates, and net sinkers. Structural remains featured over 30 house foundation postholes, fired red clay blocks, and smooth flagstone paving. Among them were 16 stone axes used for chopping, 12 stone digging tools, and 8 stone knives used for scraping. The discovery of these items indicates that the residents of Zhuweicheng were in the primitive agricultural stage of “slash-and-burn” farming, relying mainly on agriculture supplemented by fishing and hunting. The abundance of net sinkers and stone weights suggested that fishing and hunting still played a significant role. The presence of pottery and textile handicrafts pointed to a society in the patrilineal clan stage.

Based on this, experts concluded that primitive villages had already emerged in the Zhangshu area 4,500 years ago. The Zhuweicheng Ruins contain cultural layers spanning six major periods: the Neolithic Age, the Xia Dynasty, the Shang Dynasty, the Western Zhou Dynasty, the Spring and Autumn Period, and the Warring States Period. It is one of the longest-lasting and richest cultural accumulations among pre-Qin sites in China. It holds significant importance for establishing the archaeological chronology of pre-Qin history in Jiangxi and even South China.

Daqiao Subdistrict Office, Zhangshu City, Jiangxi Province

Daqiao Subdistrict: Located in the northeastern part of Zhangshu City, it covers an area of 11.9 km² with a population of 5,980. It administers two neighborhood committees: Dongcun and Nanshang.

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Postal Code

[Postal Code] 331201

[Code] 360982004: ~002 Dongcun Community ~003 Nanshang Community ~200 Daqiao Village ~201 Jiantou Village ~202 Tutang Village ~203 Pize Village ~204 Pengze Village ~205 Wanli Village ~206 Xiaqi Village ~207 Zhangjia Village ~208 Songhu Village ~2... Detailed information about Daqiao Subdistrict++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units