Changqing Xiaotun Site

Changqing Xiaotun Site

The Changqing Xiaotun Site is a cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

The Xiaotun Site is a Shang and Zhou period archaeological site. It was designated as one of the first batch of key cultural relics protection units in Shandong Province in 1977. Located on a riverside highland east of Xiaotun Village in Guide Town, Changqing County, and southwest of Qianping Village, the terrain is higher in the west and lower in the east. The Nanda River flows from south to north, dividing the site into two parts. The eastern highland is located on the east bank of the Nanda River, with its western and northern sides significantly eroded by the river; the western highland lies on the west bank of the Nanda River, with its eastern side affected by river erosion and its southern side worn away by a natural gully. The Xiaotun Reservoir dams the Nanda River, and the eastern end of the dam embankment sits directly on the eastern part of the Xiaotun Site.

The current Xiaotun Shang and Zhou Site has an eastern highland approximately 150 meters from east to west and 200 meters from north to south, covering a total area of about 40,000 square meters. To the east of the village lies an unassuming highland, higher in the west and lower in the east, where the Nanda River flows from east to west before turning north, dividing the area in two. The eastern highland is located at the bend of the Nanda River, with its western and northern sides heavily eroded by the river; the western highland lies on the west bank of the Nanda River, with its eastern side affected by the river and its southern side worn away by a natural gully. The Xiaotun Reservoir dams the Nanda River, and the eastern end of the dam embankment is where the eastern part of the Xiaotun Shang and Zhou Site is located.

Changqing is situated at the northwestern edge of the Taiyi Mountain Range, controlling vital east-west and north-south transportation routes. Its strategic importance in transport is not only evident in historical texts such as the "Spring and Autumn Annals," for instance, the battle at Guangli between the states of Jin and Qi in the 18th year of Duke Xiang (555 BC), but also supported by inscriptions on the "Biaoqiang Bell" from the Warring States period. These sources indicate that during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, when the Central Plains states sought to advance eastward, Changqing was an unavoidable thoroughfare — and a frequent battleground.

This situation can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty. As the Shang Kingdom expanded into northern and southern Shandong, the Pingyin–Changqing corridor was an essential route. It served as a link between the Shang capitals of Zhengzhou Shangcheng, Anyang Huanbei Shangcheng, and Yinxu, and the vast eastern regions. Archaeological findings show that important Shang-era sites such as Jinan’s Liujiazhuang and Daxinzhuang are linearly distributed eastward from Changqing Xiaotun; moving southward, they connect with the ancient Changqing Gushan Post. Gushan, once a station along the ancient post road, is thus known as Gushan Post.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units