Ruins of Bochang City

Ruins of Bochang City

The ruins of Bochang City are a cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province.

The ruins of Bochang City are located on the southwestern slope of Dongbochang Village, Lincheng County, Xingtai City. It was an ancient city site dating from the Warring States period to the Han Dynasty, also known as Bochang Marquis City. In July 1993, it was designated as a Provincial-Level Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the People's Government of Hebei Province.

The ancient city walls of Bochang were built along the natural undulations of the mountain, constructed with tamped earth foundations. The city is rectangular in shape, approximately 500 meters long from north to south and about 800 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of around 400,000 square meters. The western and southern sections of the city wall still remain largely intact, while the northern and eastern parts have been leveled.

Within and around the Bochang city site, rope-patterned bricks, tiles, and pottery shards are found everywhere. Local farmers frequently uncover iron swords and bronze arrowheads with three edges while plowing their fields. Judging from the decorative patterns on the bricks, tiles, and pottery, as well as the features of the arrowheads, these artifacts date back to the Warring States period to the Han Dynasty.

According to the Longqing-era "Zhaozhou Annals," Bochang City was located fifteen li west of Lincheng County. It was granted to a son of King Jingzu of Zhao by Emperor Wu of Han in the fifth year of Yuanshuo (124 BC), establishing a feudal state under the Shan surname. The "Huan Yu Ji" records: “The Dishui River flows east past Bochang City, about a li south of the pavilion, with remnants of the site still visible.” By comparing the discovered relics with historical texts, it is confirmed that this site is indeed the Bochang City from the Warring States period to the Han Dynasty.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Hebei Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units