Ruins of the Ancient City of Dongdacheng

Ancient City Ruins of Dongdacheng

The Ancient City Ruins of Dongdacheng is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Shandong Province.

Located in Dongdacheng Village, about 15 kilometers north of Qufu City, the site is surrounded by an earthen wall. Legend has it that there were originally two cities—one larger on the outside and one smaller on the inside—but only the smaller inner city remains today. The city is rectangular in shape, with the east wall measuring 292 meters, the west wall 282 meters, the south wall 426 meters, and the north wall 432 meters. The walls are about 10 meters wide, with a gate on each of the four sides. The enclosed area is approximately 0.126 square kilometers. No historical records about this city have been found in ancient texts, but in 1980, the Jining Cultural Relics Survey Team conducted investigations and trial excavations here.

The lower part of the city wall features rammed earth layers 10–12 centimeters thick, with ramming pits 4–5 centimeters in diameter. The upper layers are 14–16 centimeters thick, with pits 6–7 centimeters in diameter. About 1 meter above the base of the wall, a horizontal layer of logs—each 10–12 centimeters in diameter and spaced about 50 centimeters apart—was discovered. At the northeast corner of the city, four human skeletons were unearthed, stacked and arranged vertically from the foundation upwards, separated by several roof tiles of varying sizes. The skeletons were lying flat on their backs with limbs extended, facing east to west, and no burial objects were found. They are preliminarily believed to be sacrificial victims used in foundation-laying ceremonies during the city’s construction. Bronze arrowheads from the Warring States period, as well as Chongning coins from the Song Dynasty, are frequently found both inside and outside the city. In 1921, three bronze tripods were excavated here, and in 1970, 19 kilograms of ant-nose coins were unearthed from a hoard. Based on its construction method, the human sacrifice pits, and the unearthed artifacts, it is preliminarily determined that this ancient city wall was built during the Warring States period. In 1985, Jining City designated the site as a key cultural relics protection unit.

(1) Location: Southwest of Dongdacheng Village, Shimen Mountain Town, Qufu City.

(2) Protected Area: 700 meters south, 470 meters north, 400 meters west, and 245 meters east of the city wall base.

(3) Construction Control Zone: 120 meters outside the protected area.

Dongdacheng Village: Dongdacheng Village is recognized as a “Top 100 Model Village,” with a population of 1,154. The Dongdacheng Rock Wool Factory was established in 1986. Its rock wool products have been successively rated as provincial and ministerial-level quality products, as well as Shandong Provincial Famous Brand Products. It has also obtained a production license issued by the National Energy Department and became a member of the National Petrochemical Insulation Engineering Collaboration Unit. The “Qilin” brand rock wool products have remained popular in the market, laying a solid foundation for the village's economic development. The village has paved 11 roads totaling 3.7 kilometers, including 2 kilometers of small lanes paved in 2012 with strong support from municipal resident work teams, achieving the “household access” standard... More details about Dongdacheng Village++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· First Batch of Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Units in Jining City