The Huichengzi Site

The Huichengzi Site

The Huichengzi Site is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Shandong Province.

The Huichengzi Site is located about 150 meters east of Huichengzi Village, Kuangzhuang Township. It sits on a terrace approximately 8 to 10 meters above the surrounding high ground, covering a total area of about 5,000 square meters. Gray stratified deposits, 1 to 2 meters thick, can be seen on the exposed cliff faces, containing gray, cord-marked pottery shards from the Shang and Western Zhou dynasties, with many pottery fragments also visible on the surface. According to the "Zou County Epigraphy Collection," during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, “several dozen li northeast of the county lies a place called Huicheng, where local villagers unearthed six tripods, two li vessels, and two yi vessels… Among them, only one li vessel bore faint inscriptions, with only the three characters ‘Yong Bao Yong’ (For Eternal Use) discernible.” In 1955, local farmers excavated three bronze artifacts, which were sent to the Shandong Provincial Museum; in 1962, more than ten bronze items were dug up and sold by local farmers, and their whereabouts remain unknown; in 1973, villagers unearthed eight bronze items including a plate, a gui vessel, and a jiang, one of which—a gui—had an inscription of 12 characters inside its belly. These were interpreted as: “Made by Yi Shou, this gui is used in service to the ancestors, for eternal use.” Based on their shape, decorative patterns, and inscriptions, these items are believed to date from the late Western Zhou period. These eight bronze artifacts are now housed in the Zoucheng City Museum. The Huichengzi Site was designated as a key cultural relic protection unit of Zoucheng City in 1978.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units