Site of Xizhong's Chariot Invention

Site of Xizhong's Chariot Invention

The Site of Xizhong's Chariot Invention is a Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Site of Xizhong's Chariot Invention is located on Xigong Mountain, about 50 meters east of Qianshan Village, Taozhuang Town, Xuecheng District, Zaozhuang City. The site stretches approximately 500 meters from east to west and 320 meters from north to south. There were originally two ancient tombs on the mountaintop. During the 1981 cultural relics survey, a fragmented stele was discovered on Xigong Mountain, inscribed with the words “Tomb of the Sage Ran Qiu,” commonly known as the Tombs of Xizhong and Ran Qiu. On the eastern side of the mountain there was once a Chēfú Ancestral Hall, which was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and has since been rebuilt.

Xizhong was a craftsman from the state of Xue of the Dongyi people (present-day Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province) during the Xia Dynasty. Legend has it that he invented the two-wheeled horse-drawn chariot.

On December 7, 2006, the Site of Xizhong's Chariot Invention was designated as part of the third batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units by the People’s Government of Shandong Province.

Taozhuang Town: Located in the northern part of Xuecheng District, Taozhuang Town covers a total area of 80 square kilometers, with a population of 100,000. It administers 30 administrative villages, one subdistrict office, and 13 neighborhood committees. The town has a long and rich historical culture, where the ancient sages Xizhong and Zhonghui of the Xia and Shang dynasties left behind everlasting legacies.

The area is rich in mineral resources. Coal mining began here as early as the Yuan and Ming dynasties. In 1920, the Zhongxing Company established mines here and built a dedicated railway line, earning Taozhuang the nickname “Little Kiln” and making it one of the first two officially established towns in Zaozhuang City. Other identified resources include limestone, aluminum… More details about Taozhuang Town++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units