Lianggudui Jingshan Site

Lianggudui Jingshan Site

The Lianggudui Jingshan Site is a cultural tourism attraction.

Jingshan, also known as Chuqiu, Sangtai, or Pishan (Pi Mountain), is located 20 kilometers east of Cao County in present-day Lianggudui Village, Houji Town. It was an early settlement site of the Chu people. After Shang Tang established his capital at Bo, the Chu people migrated south but still regarded Chuqiu as their ancestral temple land. During the Qin Dynasty, Wucheng County was established here. When Xiang Yu declared himself the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, he renamed it Chüqiu County. After Liu Bang defeated Ying Bu, he passed through this place. Feeling that peace had been achieved throughout the realm, he changed the name of Chüqiu County to Chengwu County. After the Eastern Han Dynasty, the county seat was moved northward, and the mountain came to be called Chüqiu Pavilion or Chüqiu. During the Sui Dynasty, as Chüqiu belonged to Jishi County (with its county seat 15 kilometers south of Chüqiu), Jishi County was renamed Chüqiu County.

Jingshan, situated within mulberry groves, was also called Sangtai during the era of Emperor Shun. It is said that Emperor Yu of the Xia Dynasty married a woman from the Tu Shan clan here. The “Tianwen” (Heavenly Questions) chapter of the Songs of Chu records: “How could he win the maiden of Tu Shan, and meet her on Sangtai?”

Jingshan, also called Pishan, was a renowned and auspicious mountain symbolizing prosperity during the Shang Dynasty. The “Discourses of Zhou” in the Guoyu (Discourses of the States) states: “When the Shang Dynasty flourished, the fierce beast Taowu lingered at Pishan.” The capital Bo of Shang Tang was named Jingbo because of Jingshan. Before Shang Tang conquered the Xia Dynasty, he held a covenant with feudal lords at Jingshan and issued the “Tang’s Oath,” enumerating the crimes of Xia Jie. This event is historically referred to as the “Jingbo Covenant.” At Jingshan, Shang Tang declared, “I am a man of great martial prowess.” The northeastern side of Jingshan came to be called Wucheng, which originates from this. After Shang Tang conquered the Xia Dynasty, there was a severe drought. King Tang wore plain clothes, rode a white horse, “cut his hair and dismembered his fingers,” personally ascended Jingshan amid the mulberry woods, offered himself as a sacrifice, confessed his shortcomings, and prayed for rain. Before he had finished speaking, heavy rain poured down, ending the drought. During the Shang Dynasty, a tributary of the Ji River (known as Huanggou Water) flowed near Jingshan. The mountain was covered with tall, straight pine and cypress trees, which are frequently mentioned in historical texts. The “Shijing” (Book of Songs), particularly the “Shang Song” section—hymns for worshipping the ancestors of the Yin (Shang) Dynasty such as Cheng Tang and Wu Ding—includes the “Liezu” (Honored Ancestors), which says: “Jing surrounds all with rivers; Yin received its mandate fittingly.” Here, “Jing” refers to Jingshan, meaning that all around Jingshan were great rivers. The “Yin Wu” (Martial Wu) verse states: “Climbing Jingshan, I see pines and cypresses standing straight and tall.” During the Zhou Dynasty, Jingshan belonged to the State of Song. It was later renamed Chüqiu. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, Chüqiu was again called Jingshan, and settlements such as Jingshanpu and Jingshanli were established. The Liang family built a village south of Jingshan, originally called Jinyang Village, which was later renamed Lianggudui.

The Jingshan Site is a cultural accumulation layer that includes relics from various periods such as the Longshan, Yueshi, Xia, Shang, Zhou, and Han dynasties. It is a protected cultural heritage site of Shandong Province.

Source: Heze Municipal Local Chronicles Office