Ruins of the Lower Capital of Yan

Ruins of the Lower Capital of Yan

The ruins of the Lower Capital of Yan are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The ruins of the Lower Capital of Yan are located southeast of Yixian County and are an ancient site from the Warring States period. On July 23, 1982, they were designated as a provincial-level cultural heritage site by the People's Government of Hebei Province.

The ruins are the site of the capital city of the State of Yan during the Warring States period. The city site is rectangular, approximately 8 kilometers long from east to west and up to 4 kilometers wide from north to south, making it the largest in area among all known capital cities of the Warring States. A dividing wall runs through the center of the city site, separating it into eastern and western sections. The eastern section is divided into five parts: the palace area, handicraft workshops, residential areas, burial grounds, and ancient river channels, with relatively rich cultural remains that are well preserved. The western section served as a defensive outer city with fewer remains. In addition to unearthed production and daily-use items such as bronze ware, ironware, pottery, and stone tools, many architectural components such as animal-headed clay water pipes, tubular tiles, and flat tiles have also been discovered.

Located within Yixian County, Hebei Province. The ruins of the Lower Capital of Yan are the largest known capital city of the Warring States period, built during the late Warring States era under King Zhao of Yan (311 BC). It is spread across a plain, with two rivers forming natural barriers.

The ancient city of the Lower Capital of Yan is rectangular, approximately 8 kilometers long from east to west and 4–6 kilometers wide from north to south, covering a total area of about 40 square kilometers. A long ancient river channel runs from north to south through the center, traditionally believed to be a grain transport canal. Along the east bank of the river lies a wall parallel to the waterway, dividing the Lower Capital of Yan into eastern and western sections. The eastern section has an almost square layout, with a north–south dividing wall running east–west near the center, further splitting the eastern city into northern and southern parts.

The eastern and western cities are separated by a thick wall and an artificially excavated earthen rampart, with a base width of about 40 meters and a perimeter of approximately 18 kilometers. Near the center to the north, there is also an east–west cross wall dividing the palace city into two parts. This wall has a base width of about 20 meters and a total length of 4,460 meters. The western city, or outer city, consists of three walls (northern, western, and southern) along with the grain transport canal. The western wall is relatively straight, while the northern wall has bends—making several turns west, north, and east of Xidou Village, forming a complex shape. The southern wall bends southwest from west of Yanzi Village, crosses the Yi River, then turns east at the western entrance of Longwantou Village to connect with the western bank of the grain transport canal. The base width of these walls is 40 meters, and the total length of the three walls is 14 kilometers.

The eastern section of the ruins of the Lower Capital of Yan contains extremely rich cultural relics, serving as the hub of activity for the people of Yan at the time. It is divided into the palace area, handicraft workshops, residential zones, and burial grounds. The palace area is located in the northeast of the city site and consists of three architectural complexes. The main large structure, Wuyang Terrace, sits at the center of the palace area, measuring 140 meters in maximum east–west length and 110 meters in maximum north–south width. Among the rammed earth foundations of the Lower Capital of Yan, it is the most grandiose in scale.

This architectural form remained popular even into the Han Dynasty. By using rammed earth technology to build platforms of varying heights and sizes on level ground, then constructing palaces atop them, the resulting staggered, towering structures created a magnificent and imposing sight. This architectural style appears multiple times in the decorative patterns of Warring States bronze ware. The rammed earth platforms of the Lower Capital of Yan are not only tall but also numerous. Over 50 such platforms have been identified within and around the city, among which the largest, “Wuyang Terrace,” measures 110 × 140 meters in width and depth, with a remaining height of 11 meters, while “Laomu Terrace” measures 90 × 110 meters in width and depth, with a remaining height of 12 meters. Smaller examples, such as “Wangjing Terrace,” measure 26 × 40 meters. One can imagine the majestic presence of the Lower Capital of Yan in its heyday, as well as the luxury and splendor of its palace constructions.

To the north of Wuyang Terrace are Wangjing Terrace, Zhanggong Terrace, and Laomu Terrace, all aligned along a central axis. The use of massive rammed earth platforms as the foundations for main buildings was a defining feature of mid-Warring States urban architecture. Northeast, southeast, and southwest of Wuyang Terrace, there are also remains of three other large palace architectural complexes. The handicraft workshop area surrounds the palace area, while the burial ground is situated in the northwest of the eastern city. The western city served as a defensive outer city built to enhance the security of the eastern city, and it contains fewer remains.

Around Wuyang Terrace are distributed numerous sites related to weapons, iron casting, jade crafting, and pottery firing, reflecting the economic and cultural prosperity of the Yan capital at the time. The city was surrounded by tall, rammed earth walls made of wooden planks, stretching over 40 kilometers in total length. The western wall of the western city is relatively well-preserved, with 3,717 meters still standing, reaching a maximum height of about 6 meters above ground level.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units

· First Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units