The Ancient City of Gaoyang

The Ancient City of Gaoyang

The Ancient City of Gaoyang is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Shandong Province.

The Ancient City of Gaoyang is located about 200 meters west of Nangao Village, Zhutai Town. It borders the Wu River to the south, and is surrounded by plains on the east, west, and north. The site stands approximately two meters above the ground, with clear remnants of its surrounding walls visible. It is rectangular in shape, measuring about 750 meters from north to south and 650 meters from east to west. Beneath the cultivated soil layer within the city, there are numerous architectural remains, and artifacts such as roof tiles from the Warring States period have been frequently discovered. The ruins of the Ancient City of Gaoyang, now standing about two meters above the ground, still show distinct traces of its old walls. Many building foundations lie beneath the topsoil, and roof tiles from the Spring and Autumn, Warring States, and Han dynasties have been unearthed multiple times. In 1984, the site was designated as a municipal-level key cultural relics protection unit by the Zibo Municipal People's Government. Though millennia have passed and the ravages of time have eroded the appearance of the ancient city, we can still trace its past prosperity and glory through the remaining historical traces. Today, under the correct leadership of the district Party committee and government, the local people are freeing their minds, pursuing entrepreneurship, accelerating development, and creating a better life with their hard work and wisdom.

"Wine banners flutter outside Gaoyang Pavilion" is a line from the poem "Eight Scenic Spots of Linzi" written by Han Chaoran, a successful candidate in the imperial examination of the Jiayin year (1564) during the Ming Dynasty. The "Gaoyang" mentioned in the poem refers to the Ancient City of Gaoyang. Standing at the ruins of the ancient city, with a gentle breeze brushing your face, one’s thoughts wander. Imagining the past prosperity of Gaoyang City, with taverns lining the streets and wine banners billowing in the wind, it feels as though you can still catch the aroma of fine wine and see the bustling scene where “every household played fine music and hung wine signs.”

In 221 BC, after the Qin dynasty conquered the six rival states, the Ancient City of Gaoyang became the site of a commandery and county. The Han dynasty followed the Qin system and established Xi’an County on the former site of Gaoyang (Quqiu), which belonged to Qi Commandery. The "Book of the Later Han · Treatise on Commanderies and Kingdoms" states: "Quqiu is now Xi’an County of Qi Commandery." During the reign of Wang Mang, Linzi was renamed Qiling, and Xi’an County was called Dongning. In the early Eastern Han dynasty, the original name was restored. At that time, the city walls of Xi’an were well-built and known as "small but solid." During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Liu Song dynasty moved the administration of Linzi to Dongyang City (now Beiguan, Qingzhou City). Xi’an and Anping counties were merged into Linqu County. Guangchuan County was established in the southern part of Linzi, and Chonghe County in the northern part, while the northwest region saw the establishment of the Gaoyang Commandery of Jizhou as an enclave. Since then, the name Gaoyang City has remained. The "Comprehensive Dictionary of Ancient and Modern Chinese Place Names" records: "Gaoyang Commandery was established by the Liu Song dynasty of the Southern Dynasties as an enclave, governing five counties: Anping, Raoyang, Qiu, Gaoyang, and Xincheng, with Gaoyang County as its seat. It was retained by the Northern Wei, abolished in the Northern Qi, and the county was disbanded in the Sui dynasty. The ancient city lies thirty li to the northwest of present-day Linzi County." The entry on "Shishui" in the same book states: "Established in the Sui dynasty, soon abolished, and incorporated into Linzi. Restored in the Tang dynasty, then disbanded again. The ancient city lies thirty li to the northwest of Linzi County." The earlier mention of the "Sui dynasty abolishing the county" and the later mention of the "Sui dynasty establishing" refer to the Sui dynasty’s abolition of Gaoyang County and the subsequent establishment of Shishui County at the original site. In the eighth year of the Wude era of the Tang dynasty, Shishui was merged into Linzi. The "Comprehensive Gazetteer of Shandong" (compiled in the 12th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty) states: "The Gaoyang Commandery was established in the Northern Wei dynasty, later changed to Shishui County, and abolished in the Tang dynasty." According to the "Linzi County Annals" from the ninth year of the Republic of China, during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Linzi governed four towns, one of which was Quqiu Town.

Zhutai Town: Zhutai Town is located in the northwest of Linzi District, 14 kilometers from the urban center. It covers a total area of 77.18 square kilometers, with 5,865.8 hectares of arable land. The town administers 42 natural villages and 57 administrative villages, with a total population of 51,255, including 2,161 non-agricultural residents. In 2003, the town achieved a gross domestic product of 1 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year growth of 35.8%. The added value of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries reached 168.15 million yuan, 504.05 million yuan, and 327.80 million yuan respectively, showing year-on-year increases of 11.5%, 33.6%, and 57.5%... More detailed information about Zhutai Town ++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units