Site of Bucheng

Site of BUCHENG

The Site of Bucheng is a cultural relic protection unit of Jining City.

The Site of Bucheng is located within Bu Cheng Qian Village in the southwestern part of Xiazhen. It borders the western bank of the Grand Canal to the east, Shagudui Village to the west, the lake dike to the south, and the old canal to the north. The site is roughly square-shaped, with each side approximately 2,000 meters long and a total area of about 4 million square meters. The Ming Dynasty’s Bucheng was built on top of this site but covered a smaller area. In the southern part, near Fenghuangzui, there are ancient tombs from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

Bucheng, commonly referred to as “Xi Zhen Xi Cheng” (West City of Xiazhen), earned its name because the Gongbu Fensisi (Imperial Ministry of Works Regional Office) was established here, and troops were stationed here regularly to safeguard canal transport security, hence also called “Bucheng” (Ministry City).

The site is located within the areas of Bu Cheng Community, Liucun Community, Qingshan Community, GULou Village, Shagudui Village, Nankoumen, and Nankouwai Village in the southwestern part of Xiazhen. It borders the western bank of the Grand Canal to the east, Shagudui Village to the west, the lake dike to the south, and the old canal to the north. The site is roughly square-shaped, with each side approximately 2,000 meters long and a total area of about 4 million square meters. The Ming Dynasty’s Bucheng was built on top of this site but covered a smaller area. In the southern part, near Fenghuangzui, there are ancient tombs from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

Xiazhen, the seat of Weishan County in Jining City, Shandong Province, was originally an ancient city composed of three parts: Guangqi, Bucheng (West City), and Xiazhenzhai (East City).

In the northwest of Xiazhen lies the site of Guangqi City, which was the county seat of Guangqi County during the Qin Dynasty. In the late Qin Dynasty, when Liu Bang attacked Xue County (the former site of the ancient state of Xue, also known as “Xuecheng”), killed Zhu Shui Commandery Governor Zhuang, and returned via Kangfu (the former site of Kangfu, now in the southern part of Jining City) and Fangyu (the former site of Fangyu, located west of Weishan Lake in Yutai County), he passed through this place. This city is also commonly called “Qicheng.” Legend has it that Liu Bang later granted this “Qicheng” as a fief to his favorite concubine, Qi Ji. The “Tengxian Zhi Guji Zhi” (“Records of Antiquities” in the Teng County Annals) under the entry “Guangqi City” also identifies this place as Qi Ji’s hometown. During the Han Dynasty, Liu Jiang, son of Prince Lu Gong, and Liu Xun, son of Prince Chu Xiao, were both enfeoffed as marquises in Guangqi County, historically known as the “Guangqi Marquisate.”

Guangqi County was abolished during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period. It was not until the Ming Dynasty, when a new canal was dug and canal transport became smooth, that Xiacun in the southwest of “Qicheng” began to prosper.

In the first year of the Longqing era of the Ming Dynasty (1567), Xiacun became a dock for ship mooring, and commerce and industry flourished increasingly. It was then renamed “Xiazhen,” also called Xiayang. At the same time, the offices of the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue were relocated here from GUTou City (present-day GUTou Village in Pei County, Jiangsu Province), situated in the southwest of “Qicheng” (i.e., the former site of Guangqi County), near the western bank of the newly dug canal. A new city was constructed to accommodate these ministries, giving rise to what is now known as “Bucheng.”

According to the “Tengxian Zhi” from the 26th year of the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty (1846), the office of the Ministry of Works continued to be stationed here in the 15th year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1658) and was abolished in the 15th year of the Kangxi era (1676).

Further reading:

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