Ancient City of Biyang

Ancient City of Biyang

The Ancient City of Biyang is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Ancient City of Biyang is located about 2.5 kilometers southwest of Jian Tou Ji in Tai'erzhuang District, Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province. It lies to the south against rolling hills and to the east beside the ancient course of the Long River.

Biyang was a small state during the Spring and Autumn period, classified as a "Zi" (a lower rank of nobility). According to *Shiben* ("Genealogy"), “Biyang was of the Yun clan, a descendant of Zhurong, and the progeny of Qiuyan, the fourth son of Lu Zhong.” As for when it was enfeoffed and who was the first ruler, historical records offer no definitive account. *Guoyu · Zhengyu* states: “The Yun-clan states of Wu, Kuai, Lu, and Biyang, along with the Cao-clan states of Zou and Ju, all served as guardians—some within the royal domain, others among the barbarian tribes.” This indicates that Biyang, along with other Yun- and Cao-clan states, was a feudal state during the Zhou dynasty. In the spring of the 10th year of Duke Xiang of Lu (563 BC), the states of Lu, Jin, and Song jointly attacked Biyang. Due to its “small but sturdy” walls, it wasn’t until the fifth month of summer that they “finally destroyed Biyang.” After the city fell, its ruler was captured, and Biyang was annexed by the state of Song. Later, it came under the control of Qi, then Chu. The Qin dynasty established Fuyang County; the Han and Jin dynasties continued this, but it was eventually abolished.

The city wall had a circumference of 3,293 meters, and locals refer to it as “nine li and eighteen steps.” The site is longer from north to south than from east to west, roughly rectangular in shape. In the southwestern corner of the city lies a small hill, commonly known as “Rice Hill.” The northwest part has a village called Chengli Village. The rest of the area is farmland. The northern section of the remaining wall is quite distinct because it was heightened during the Qing dynasty by peasant rebel forces who built the Biyang Weir on the old foundation. Today, the northern wall stands 4–5 meters above ground level, with a base width of over 20 meters, and the overall outline of the ancient city remains clearly visible.

Within the ancient city and to the east outside its walls, the ground is scattered with many pottery fragments, mostly gray pottery, including items such as bean pots, jars, and basins. In addition to plain designs, some pieces feature rope patterns or concave-convex textures. Artifacts unearthed include bricks, roof tiles, tile ends, iron slag, bronze swords, bronze arrowheads, and bronze seals. Stone tools have also been occasionally found. The *Yi County Annals · Miscellaneous Records* from the Guangxu era of the Qing dynasty states: “Ancient pottery is abundant in Yi County, but Biyang bricks are the finest—crude in design, unadorned, over a foot long, half as wide, hard in texture, and heavier than metal or stone. People used them as inkstones. When sent to carvers for shaping, not even sharp blades could cut them.” To the south of the ancient city, on the shady side of the mountain range, there are clusters of ancient tombs, where pictorial stones are often excavated.

In 2006, the Ancient City of Biyang, as an ancient site dating from the Zhou to the Jin dynasties, was included in the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units