The Three Terraces of Ye City

The Three Terraces of Ye City

The Three Terraces of Ye City refer to the Golden Phoenix Terrace, the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, and the Ice Well Terrace. They are located in Santai Village within the ruins of Ye City in Linzhang County, Handan City, Hebei Province. These structures feature exquisite architecture and a unique style, and the site is also the birthplace of Jian’an Literature.

Golden Phoenix Terrace

Located to the west of Santai Village, it was originally called the Golden Tiger Terrace and is the southernmost of the three terraces. It was built by Cao Cao in the 18th year of the Jian’an era of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 213). Historical records indicate that the terrace was eight zhang high (approximately 18.6 meters) and had 135 rooms. The existing earthen remains of the Golden Phoenix Terrace are relatively intact, measuring 122 meters in length from north to south, 70 meters in width from east to west, and 12 meters in height. On the southern side of the terrace stands the Wenchang Pavilion, built in the eighth year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty. The pavilion is adorned with a plaque inscribed with “Golden Phoenix Terrace,” and in front of the pavilion there is a pair of stone carved chi dragons from the Northern Dynasties, noted for their simple yet refined design and exquisite craftsmanship. Behind the pavilion, the stele pavilion houses numerous inscribed tablets authored by celebrated figures. Among them is the Yuan Dynasty stele titled “The Founding Stele of the Jingqing Taoist Temple on the Golden Phoenix Terrace in Yezhen,” featuring a plaque carved with six entwined dragons—an ancient and uniquely elegant piece of significant artistic value. To the north of the stele pavilion, there is a flight of 53 stone steps. Climbing these steps leads to the top of the Golden Phoenix Terrace. At the summit, there is now a cultural relics exhibition room displaying precious artifacts unearthed in Ye City and its surrounding areas. To the west of the stone steps lies an underground passage, which served as one of Cao Cao’s hidden troop tunnels, extending all the way to Jiangwu City in Ci County.

Bronze Sparrow Terrace

Situated to the north of the Golden Phoenix Terrace, this is the main terrace among the three and was built by Cao Cao in the 15th year of the Jian’an era (AD 210). Ten zhang high (approximately 23.1 meters), it housed over a hundred rooms and served as a venue where Cao Cao entertained literati and poets for banquets and poetry composition, as well as a place for entertainment with his consorts and palace maidens through song and dance. It was also of strategic military importance. Cao Cao quelled the rebellion of Yan Cai here and received and hosted the renowned poet Cai Wenji, who had returned from the Xiongnu. Cao Zhi also composed his famous “Ode to Ascending the Terrace” here, which has been celebrated ever since. The terrace was further expanded during the Later Zhao and Northern Qi dynasties and has long been praised as offering the view of “Bronze Sparrows Soaring Among Clouds.” Renowned both at home and abroad, the terrace has inspired numerous literary works by historical figures. Among them, the Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu wrote the famous lines in his poem “Reflections on the Bronze Sparrow Terrace”: “Had the east wind not favored Zhou Yu, / The Bronze Sparrow Terrace would have locked the Two Qiaos away in spring.”

Ice Well Terrace

Located at the northernmost end of the “Three Terraces,” it was built in the 19th year of the Jian’an era (AD 214). Eight zhang high (approximately 18.6 meters), it contained 140 rooms and earned its name due to the presence of wells used to store ice. The wells were 15 zhang deep (approximately 34.7 meters) and stored large quantities of ice blocks, coal, grain, salt, and other supplies for emergencies. During the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the buildings on the terrace were burned down, and by the end of the Ming Dynasty, they were further destroyed by floods from the Zhang River, leaving no above-ground remnants.