Ancient Maling Battle Site

Ancient Maling Battle Site

The Ancient Maling Battle Site is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Ancient Maling Battle Scenic Area is a cultural heritage site under the protection of Liaocheng City. It serves as a tourist destination showcasing China’s precious ancient military cultural legacy. Located 4 kilometers southeast of Dazhangjia Town Government in Shen County, it lies between Malin Village in Dazhangjia Town and Daokou Village in Yingtianyuan Town.

Malin and Daokou villages are 6 kilometers apart. Both were built along the direction of the river, with houses, alleys, and roads all slanted, featuring many turns, and are extremely winding—so much so that visitors can still easily lose their way upon entering the villages, hence the name “Maze of Souls.” A vivid depiction of the site is found in the poem “On the Road to Maling” by Meng Zhipu, the magistrate of Fan County during the Yuan Dynasty: “Expansive plains east of the land, not peaks of Mount Emei’s range. Levees piled with impact, collapsed into great streams. Houses mostly skewed and bent, paths twisting round again. Marvelous indeed is Sunzi’s wit, reducing kitchen fires to trap Pang Juan.” In 341 BC, the famous military strategist Sun Bin took full advantage of these favorable conditions by ambushing the enemy along the Maling Road, defeating the arrogant Wei troops in one fell swoop, and forcing their commander, Pang Juan, to commit suicide on a prominent earthen mound north of Maling, known as Huangsanggang. Legend says there was once a towering yellow mulberry tree under which Pang Juan took his own life. To the west of Huangsanggang originally stood the Temple of Sun Bin, with upturned eaves, carved beams, glazed tile roofing, and magnificent splendor. In front of the temple was a stele, with a well on each side, known as the “One Hundred (Stele) and One (Load of) Two Wells.” Legend has it that these wells were dug by locals to assist in troop concealment when Sun Bin set up his battle formation.

Dazhangjia Town planned and constructed the Ancient Maling Battle Scenic Area based on the historical site. The scenic zone is designed to cover 1,000 acres and includes attractions such as the Maling Battle Memorial Hall, the Ancient Maling Battlefield, a resort village, a folk culture park, a fishing area, an antique-style snack street, and an entertainment and leisure zone. The completed Maling Battle Memorial Hall is the iconic antique-style structure in the scenic area, covering 6,000 square meters. The hall prominently displays the battle process of the Ancient Maling War and showcases the life achievements of Sun Bin. The hall’s name was inscribed by General Li Laizhu, former commander of the Beijing Military Region. On either side of the entrance are seal script couplets: “A timeless battle example recorded in history, a volume of military strategy enlightening future generations.” The memorial hall houses a wealth of historical materials related to Sun Bin and serves as an important domestic research base for the study of Sun Bin. The Ancient Maling Battlefield is planned to cover 500 acres and aims to restore the original appearance of the famous Warring States-era Qi-Wei Maling Battle.

Source: People's Government of Shen County

Dazhangjia Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Shen County. In 1949, it belonged to the Third District of Guancheng; in 1956, it was placed under Fan County’s Guancheng District; in 1964, it was transferred to Shen County; in 1971, Dazhang Commune was established; in 1982, it was renamed Dazhangjia Commune; in 1984, it became Dazhangjia Township; and in 1987, it was upgraded to a town. Located in the southwestern part of the county, it is 50 kilometers from the county seat and borders Fan County and Qingfeng County of Henan Province to the east and west respectively. It covers an area of 58 square kilometers with a population of 41,000. The Shen (County)–Puyang Highway runs through the town, and the Tuhai River crosses the central part of the town, while the East Chi Main Canal flows from south to north through the area. The town administers Zhaili, Zhaiwai, Xicang… More detailed information about Dazhangjia Town++