Ancient Temple Ruins

Ancient Temple Ruins

The Ancient Temple Ruins are a protected cultural heritage site of Shandong Province.

The Ancient Temple Ruins are located to the east of Shenlizhuang in Yansi Town, Dongchangfu District, Liaocheng City. The site is a square-shaped high platform, with an exposed area of 500 square meters and a cultural layer about 2 meters thick. The surface of the ruins is scattered with a large number of pottery fragments. Recognizable artifacts include jars, cups, dou (stemmed bowls), and basins from the Longshan Culture period, as well as li (tripod cauldrons) from the Shang Dynasty and rope-patterned cylindrical tiles from the Zhou Dynasty. It is a site dating from the Longshan Culture to the Shang and Zhou periods. Research suggests that this was the site of the city of Liaocheng during the Spring and Autumn Period, and it is where the story of Lu Zhonglian shooting a letter to save Liaocheng took place.

In the northwest corner of the ruins lies the tomb of Zhuanxu. Zhuanxu was an ancient emperor, the grandson of the Yellow Emperor, who “first established his state at Gaoyang, hence known as the Gaoyang Clan, and made his capital at Diqu (present-day Puyang, Henan).” The *Comprehensive Gazetteer* records: “There are two tombs of Emperor Zhuanxu of Gaoyang: one in Kaizhou, and one 20 li northwest of the eastern commandery city. … The one in the eastern commandery has a temple, which is commonly called ‘Liaogu Temple.’” The original Zhuanxu Tomb consisted of three parts: first, the Zhuanxu Temple, also known as "Liaogu Temple" or "Liaowang Temple," was a shrine dedicated to Zhuanxu, featuring grand architecture including a bell tower, drum tower, main hall, corridors, and rear building. Second, the Zhuanxu Tomb, located behind (north of) the Zhuanxu Temple, is said to be the burial mound of Emperor Zhuanxu, forming a rectangular high platform. Third, the Sacred Water Well, an ancient well with sweet and clear water, gave rise to one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Liaocheng, “Sacred Spring Bringing Rain.” In 1945, the temple was destroyed, leaving only the ruins.

[Related Link] Lu Zhonglian Shoots a Letter to Save Liaocheng During the Warring States Period (475–221 BCE), Qi and Yan fought a brutal war over control of Liaocheng. The *Records of the Grand Historian: Biographies of Lu Zhonglian and Zou Yang* provides detailed accounts: “A Yan general (Leying) captured Liaocheng, but some people in Liaocheng slandered him to the Yan court. Fearing execution, the Yan general fortified himself in Liaocheng and dared not return home. Tian Dan of Qi attacked Liaocheng for over a year, suffering heavy casualties without capturing the city.” At this time, the wise man of Qi, Lu Zhonglian, arrived in Liaocheng. “He wrote a letter, tied it to an arrow, and shot it into the city to deliver it to the Yan general.” In the letter, Lu Zhonglian explained the pros and cons to the Yan general, appealing to his sense of righteousness, advising him to either retreat or surrender rather than resist to the bitter end. The words were sincere and heartfelt. “When the Yan general read Lu Zhonglian’s letter, he wept for three days and could not make up his mind. He wanted to return to Yan, but feared punishment due to existing tensions; he wanted to surrender to Qi, but feared being killed after so many captives had been taken. Sighing deeply, he said: ‘I would rather kill myself than be killed by others.’ Then he committed suicide.” In 2013, the Ancient Temple Ruins were designated as part of the fourth batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Protection Units by the People's Government of Shandong Province.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units