Ancient Geyi City Ruins

During the Qin Dynasty, Geyi County (located in the southern part of present-day Decheng District, Dezhou City) was established and belonged to Jibei Commandery. In the Western Han Dynasty, it was under Pingyuan Commandery. In the Northern Wei Dynasty, Ande Commandery was created from parts of Pingyuan and Qinghe Commanderies, and Geyi County was placed under it. In the seventh year of the Tianbao era of the Northern Qi Dynasty (556 AD), Geyi County was abolished.

The current Dezhou city was first built in the 30th year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1397). It evolved from the ancient Geyi State, a process that took 3,500 years, during which the city changed its name nine times and its location seven times.

1. The Rise of the Geyi State

The earliest record of Dezhou can be traced back to the Geyi State. According to the *Dezhou Local Chronicles*, “During the Yao and Shun eras, the Xia Dynasty enfeoffed the Youge Clan as a state, marking the beginning of the Geyi State,” with its capital roughly located in Yucheng Town, belonging to Yanzhou among the Nine Provinces.

The Youge Clan, said to be descendants of Gao Yao and of the Yan surname, were direct descendants of the Yellow Emperor. Gao Yao was the historically renowned figure behind the phrase “Gao Yao established prisons and marked out the earth as prison cells.” He assisted Emperor Yu in founding the Xia Dynasty, who was so grateful that he named Gao Yao as his successor. However, Gao Yao passed away before Yu. After his death, Yu enfeoffed his descendants, one of whom settled by the Geyi River—where Yu once fought—and established the Youge Clan state.

The Geyi River was one of the nine rivers dredged by Yu. As recorded in the *Commentary on the Book of Documents*: “Li Xun said, the waterway was narrow and shallow, so it could be used as a ford,” hence the name Geyi River. This river served as a key transportation hub and was also important for fishing, irrigation, and flood control. Xu Fu is said to have set sail from this river to journey eastward to Japan. By the Tang and Song dynasties, the Yellow River had taken over the Geyi River’s course to the sea, briefly serving as the border between the Song and Liao, and later the Song and Jin. Later, the Yellow River shifted southward, taking over the Huai River’s outlet to the sea, and the Geyi River gradually disappeared. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was called the Old Yellow River, in the early years of the People’s Republic it was known as the Sinvsi Sluice River, and now it is called the Zhangwei New River.

After Yu successfully controlled the floods, the people of Geyi actively developed agriculture, textiles, manufacturing, fishing, hunting, and animal husbandry, evolving into an advanced civilization. During the recovery of the Shao state, they eliminated the Youqiong Clan, and later played a significant role in Tang of Shang’s overthrow of the Xia Dynasty.

2. The Establishment and Disappearance of Geyi County

During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the Geyi State was part of the Qi territory. After the Qin Dynasty unified China and abolished the feudal system in favor of commanderies and counties, Geyi City was established as a county, roughly covering the area east of the Geyi River and west of the La River—this marked the beginning of Geyi County.

In the Western Han Dynasty, when Han Xin attacked Qi, secured Jibei, and took Geyi City, it referred to this place. During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao pursued Yuan Tan, son of Yuan Shao, and to guard against reinforcements from Qingzhou, he built Linqi City northeast of Geyi County—now Bianlin Town in Lingcheng District. In the Northern Wei Dynasty, as Geyi County faced threats from all sides, its administrative center was moved here, marking the first relocation since its establishment.

Geyi County exited the historical stage in 586 AD. The *Qing乾隆 Dezhou Annals* record: “In the sixth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty, Geyi County was abolished and Yimou County was established.” The Sui Dynasty abolished Geyi County and created Yimou County, keeping the same administrative center, located about 25 li southwest of Ande County—roughly where the Economic Development Zone’s Toutou Temple stands today. The *Qing乾隆 Dezhou Annals* also note that in the late Ming Dynasty, when digging a well at Dongwujiazhuang east of Toutou Temple, the shape of city walls was discovered, with the thinnest bricks and stickiest lime. Ge Xuekan, a literati from Dezhou during the Kangxi era, specifically documented this event.

Thus, the Youge Clan state, which had existed since the Yao and Shun eras, completed its historical mission after approximately 2,656 years, paving the way for the takeover by Dezhou.

According to a gray pottery *ge* cooking vessel preserved in the Dezhou Museum, unearthed from the Xingzhaiwang site in Yucheng, it is a representative artifact from the Longshan Culture era, alternating between dark gray and light gray, used for cooking—similar to a modern rice pot.

3. Name Changes in the Post-Geyi County Era

Yimou County had a very short existence, so brief that it was not recorded in historical texts, and was soon replaced by Guangchuan County, located fifty li northwest of Ande County. Fourteen years later, in the early years of the Renshou era of Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Guang was made crown prince, and to avoid using the crown prince’s name, Guangchuan County was renamed Changhe County—marking the beginning of Changhe County. During the Tang Tianbao era, when Pingyuan Commandery Governor Yan Zhenqing raised an army to fight An Lushan, Changhe County was under his jurisdiction. In the fourth year of the Tang Yuanhe era, Changhe County was destroyed by a flood. The Chengde Military Governor Wang Chengzhong relocated the county seat to Baiqiao, moving from the east to the west bank of the Yongji River (also known as the Wei Canal), thirteen li from the old site. In the tenth year of Yuanhe, Wang Chengzhong also built Xiaohucheng on the east bank of the river, specifically for stationing troops. In the twelfth year of Yuanhe, Wang Chengzhong and Chengde Military Governor Cheng Quan engaged in fierce battle here. By dismantling Baiqiao, they successfully held their ground. At this time, Dezhou governed five counties: Changhe, Ande, Jiangling, and Pingchang.

In the Xiande era of the Later Zhou Dynasty, Changhe County was abolished and downgraded to Changhe Town, incorporated into Jiangling County. This Jiangling County was established in the sixth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty—the same year Geyi County was abolished—and was located forty-five li northeast of Changhe, near Wuqiao, covering a vast area but sparsely populated, essentially a ghost town. In the first year of the Jingyou era of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty (1034), due to Chen Yaozuo’s flood control efforts, the county seat of Jiangling County was moved to Changhe Town.

4. The Deling Interchange

As history progressed into the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, Dezhou’s location was finally fixed. The most dramatic event during this period was the Deling Interchange—that is, over six hundred years ago, today’s Dezhou (Decheng District) was called Ling County (Lingcheng District), and today’s Ling County (Lingcheng District) was called Dezhou (Decheng District).

This process involved four changes, which the *Qing乾隆 Dezhou Annals* specifically describe. First change: during the Yuan Xianzong era, Ling County was elevated to Lingzhou. Second change: in the early years of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, Lingzhou was downgraded back to Ling County. Third change: in the seventh year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, Ling County and Ande County were abolished, and Dezhou was established, with the former Ande County-based Dezhou administrative center moved to the location of Ling County—this was the “interchange of Ling County for Dezhou.” At this time, Dezhou governed Deping and Pingyuan counties and was under the jurisdiction of Jinan Prefecture. Fourth change: in the thirteenth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, the former Ande County was re-established as a county called Ling County, with its administrative center located at the former site of the Dezhou administrative center—aptly called the “interchange of Dezhou for Ling County.” From then on, the names and administrative divisions of Dezhou and Ling County remained unchanged.

Further Reading:

· Handan City’s Second Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units

·The Second Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units in Handan City