Ancient Pi City Ruins

Ancient Pi City Ruins

The Ancient Pi City Ruins are a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Hebei Province.

Ancient Pi City Ruins

Ancient Pi City is located 5 kilometers northeast of the current county town. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Huan of Qi led a northern campaign against the Shanrong tribe and reached this place. To make leather armor and equipment for warhorses, he built Liangpi Pavilion, which later came to be known as Ancient Pi City. In the Qin Dynasty, a county-level administrative region was established here. During the Han and Wei Dynasties, it served as the seat of the Bohai Commandery. Due to repeated warfare, the city was destroyed and the population scattered. In the Eastern Wei Dynasty, the county town was relocated to its current location, and the original city was abandoned. The original site is square-shaped, measuring 465 meters from east to west and 426 meters from north to south, covering an area of 198,000 square meters. The remaining walls on the northern side of the city are 3 to 5 meters high and 20 meters thick. At the northeastern corner lies the remnant of the “Sea-Viewing Tower,” which stands 8.5 meters tall. Remnants of the original city gates can be found on all four sides, each 27 to 38 meters wide. The city is scattered with various patterned tiles, and artifacts such as cauldron supports, bronze arrowheads, and Tang tri-color pottery have been discovered. About 500 meters south of the ruins are several large earthen mounds, said to be fake grain platforms built by Cao Cao during his campaign against Yuan Tan. The western mound is the former residence of Shi Chong, featuring the remains of the Green Pearl Tower. Further west lie the residences of Fan Dan and others. Many beautiful legends are associated with the site.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Sites Protected in Hebei Province