Site of the Baxiantai Terrace

Site of the Baxiantai Terrace

The Baxiantai site is a cultural heritage protection unit of Shandong Province.

Baxiantai is located south of Huantai Village in Huaguan Township, about 15 kilometers northeast of Guangrao County. It lies 4 kilometers west of the ancient city of Luan and approximately 0.5 kilometers south of the Xiaoqing River, with the Dongxin Highway about 3.5 kilometers to the west. According to Yan Shigu’s commentary in the *Book of Han*, Baxiantai means “a terrace with a bedroom made of cypress wood on top,” hence its name. The terrace was built by manual earth piling. The *Records of the Grand Historian · Annals of Emperor Xiaowu* states: “Emperor Wu of Han had an ancient bronze vessel. When he asked Shaojun about it, Shaojun replied: ‘This vessel was displayed on Baxiantai in the tenth year of Duke Huan of Qi.’ Later, when the inscriptions on it were examined, they indeed proved it to be a vessel of Duke Huan of Qi.” From this, it can be inferred that Baxiantai was built no later than the tenth year of Duke Huan of Qi (676 BCE), making it over 2,600 years old.

Originally called Lüqin (the Duke’s Resting Hall), Baxiantai served as the traveling palace of the rulers of Qi. The *Zuo Zhuan* records: “In the 26th year [of Duke Zhao of Lu] (516 BCE), the Duke of Qi sat with Yanzi in the Lüqin, and the Duke sighed: ‘What a beautiful chamber—yet who will own it in the future?’” The *Han Feizi* also mentions: “Duke Jing of Qi and Yanzi toured Shaohai, ascended Baxiantai, and looked back at their state. The Duke said: ‘How magnificent and grand!’” The *Records of the Grand Historian · House of Duke Tai of Qi* also describes: “In the 32nd year of Duke Jing of Qi (516 BCE), a comet appeared. The Duke sat on Baxiantai and sighed: ‘How majestic—yet who will own this place?’” The *Spring and Autumn Annals of Yanzi* records: “The Duke stayed overnight in the Lüqin palace.” Furthermore, according to the *Shandong General Annals* from the Ming Dynasty's Jiajing era: “Duke Huan of Qi once formed alliances with feudal lords here, hence it was called Huan Gongtai (Duke Huan’s Terrace).”

The terrace has an approximately square layout. In April 1995, the Guangrao County Museum conducted comprehensive archaeological drilling and partial excavation of Baxiantai. They discovered that the base is 180 meters long from east to west and 150 meters wide from north to south, with a total area of 27,000 square meters. The entire structure, from bottom to top, was built by rammed earth, with each layer about 16 centimeters thick. The lower eastern part has 48 layers, approximately 8 meters high. The layers are uniform, the surfaces level, and the ramming pits are bun-shaped. Observations of cross-sections around the terrace reveal large-scale construction traces on the southern and western sides, with numerous pottery shards from the Longshan, Shang-Zhou, and Han periods found within the rammed layers. This suggests the possible presence of Longshan or Shang-Zhou cultural sites nearby. Additionally, many architectural components from the Warring States to the Han period—such as tubular tiles, flat tiles, and decorative bricks—were collected from the top of the terrace.

Legend has it that Baxiantai was originally 3 zhang tall (approx. 10 meters), covering an area of 10 large *mu* (about 40 acres today). The terrace featured magnificent palaces and lush pines and cypresses, making it a popular destination for scholars and poets. Over the past 2,600 years, Baxiantai has withstood wind, rain, war, and fire, yet its remains still stand. Today, it is about 6 meters tall, 160 meters long from east to west, and 120 meters wide from north to south, with a total area of 19,200 square meters. It was designated a municipal-level key cultural relics protection unit in 1985.

It was designated a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit in 2006.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units