Zibo Changguo Ancient City

Zibo Changguo Ancient City

Zibo Changguo Ancient City is a cultural tourism attraction.

Changguo Ancient City, also known as Changcheng, is located south of Liujia Village in Fengshui Town, Zhangdian District, bordered by Fengshui River (also called Zhulong River) to the west and Laocao River to the east. The present-day Changcheng Village sits in the middle of the ancient site.

Changguo Ancient City was once a settlement of the ancient Qi State. During the Warring States period, after Yan general Yue Yi triumphed over Qi, he was enfeoffed as the Lord of Changguo here. From the Han Dynasty to the Northern Wei Dynasty, Changguo County was established at this location, but the name Changguo disappeared from historical records by the Sui Dynasty.

The site is roughly square-shaped, with only a slight indentation in the northwest corner, and each side is approximately 1.5 kilometers long. There were four city gates—east, west, south, and north—as well as four corner gates in the northeast, southeast, northwest, and southwest. The city walls have been leveled, though a section in the northwest corner has been repurposed as a roadbed that stands above ground level. Drilling surveys revealed that the cultural layer is about one meter thick, with many Han Dynasty relics found on the surface. In 1984, it was designated as a municipal-level key cultural relics protection unit.

Also known as Changcheng, it is located five li southeast of Zhangdian, south of Liujia Village in Fengshui Commune. The present-day Changcheng Village lies in the middle of the ancient city ruins. It is three Chinese miles west of Fengshui River (Zhulong River) and four Chinese miles east of Laocao River. To the east of the ancient city’s eastern wall is Chengdong Village, to the southwest lies Changcheng Coal Mine, and to the southeast is Fengshui Coal Mine. Changguo Ancient City was once a settlement of the ancient Qi State. During the Warring States period, after Yan general Yue Yi won a victory over Qi, he was enfeoffed as the Lord of Changguo here. From the Han Dynasty to the Yuanwei Dynasty, Changguo County was established here, but the name Changguo disappeared from historical records by the Sui Dynasty.

The ruins of the ancient city still exist today, spanning roughly three Chinese miles on each side and maintaining a mostly square shape, with a slight indentation in the northwest corner. There were four city gates—east, west, south, and north—as well as four corner gates in the northeast, northwest, southwest, and southeast. The city walls have been leveled, though a section in the northwest corner has been repurposed as a roadbed that stands above ground level and is clearly visible. Drilling surveys showed that the cultural layer within the ancient city is about one meter thick, with numerous Han Dynasty relics and artifacts scattered across the surface.

The ruins of Changguo Ancient City are located in Changcheng Village, Fengshui Town, Zhangdian District, and were listed as a municipal-level key cultural relics protection unit in 1984.

In ancient times, Changguo City was once called Shangcheng, believed to be the fief of Pang Bo, a feudal lord of the Shang Dynasty. The Qi Cheng, the earliest extant local chronicle of Shandong Province, was compiled by Yu Qin of Yidu during the Yuan Dynasty. It contains the record: “Forty li northeast of Panyang Commandery lies the ancient city of Fengling, where the Shang feudal lord Pang Bo was first enfeoffed.”

Zou Zhenyue, a Hanlin academician from the Qing Dynasty and a native of Changcheng Village, conducted research during the Guangxu era and concluded that Yu Qin’s account was plausible. The distance from the seat of Panyang Commandery in Zichuan County to Changcheng Village also matched Yu Qin’s description. Zou Zhenyue even inscribed his viewpoint in the inscription of the Guan Yu Temple in his village.

However, Changguo City derived its name from the enfeoffment of General Yue Yi as the Lord of Changguo by the ruler of the Yan State during the Warring States period. A few li southeast of Changcheng Village lies the border between the northern plain of western Shandong and the central hills of Shandong. Today, ancient place names such as Caobugou, Caobuling, Paomadi, Nanyitai, and Beiyitai within Fengshui Town of Zhangdian District—still in use after more than 2,000 years—are all directly linked to General Yue Yi’s military career. Meanwhile, the stone marker of the municipal-level key cultural relics protection unit and the now-ruined remains of Changguo Ancient City continue to tell the story of how General Yue Yi etched his name into history to people living in the early 21st century.

In the mid-to-late Warring States period, amid the chaos of the seven rival states—Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Qin—competing for dominance, warfare raged and smoke filled the skies. In 314 BC, taking advantage of internal strife in the Yan State, Qi sent troops to breach the Yan capital, kill King Kuai of Yan, and nearly annihilate the Yan State.

After King Kuai’s son, King Zhao of Yan, ascended the throne, he worked diligently to govern the state, recruited talented individuals, and bided his time. More than 20 years later, Yan had grown strong enough and secretly coordinated attack strategies with four states other than Qi and Chu. In 284 BC, under the command of General Yue Yi, and alongside generals Bai Qi of Qin, Lian Po of Zhao, Bao Yuan of Han, and Jin Bi of Wei, the allied forces of Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Qin invaded Qi from the north. Their advance was swift and overwhelming, resulting in the capture of over 70 cities including the Qi capital Linzi, with only Ju and Jimo remaining in Qi hands. Yue Yi achieved

remarkable military success, and King Zhao of Yan enfeoffed him as the Lord of Changguo. By the shimmering waters of Dehui River (today’s Zhulong River), Yue Yi took the highest seat in Changguo City. Records in Records of the Grand Historian · Biographies of Yue Yi document this history, stating that after capturing Linzi, Yue Yi seized all of Qi’s treasures and ritual vessels for Yan. Overjoyed, King Zhao of Yan personally traveled to the Ji region of Qi to commend the troops, reward the soldiers, and enfeoff Yue Yi in Changguo as the Lord of Changguo.

However, Yue Yi’s forces ultimately failed to capture Ju and Jimo. In 279 BC, King Zhao of Yan passed away, and his son King Hui ascended the throne. King Hui harbored long-standing resentment and distrust toward Yue Yi, creating an opportunity for Qi. In Jimo, Tian Dan, a former low-ranking official, was chosen to lead the resistance against Yan. The cunning Tian Dan sent agents to Yan to spread rumors that Yue Yi planned to ally with southern feudal lords and await the right moment to proclaim himself king of Qi, which was why he delayed capturing the two remaining Qi cities. They also spread word that Qi feared no one but other Yan generals—if sent in Yue Yi’s place, the people of Jimo would suffer greatly.

Believing these lies, King Hui of Yan replaced Yue Yi with General Qi Jie. Qi Jie fell victim to several traps upon taking command—he ordered the noses of captured Qi soldiers to be cut off and had Qi ancestral tombs desecrated, inciting outrage among the Qi people who then prepared for battle with fierce determination.

When the unsuspecting Yan army lowered its guard, Tian Dan led 5,000 brave warriors, with fire oxen adorned in dazzling colors at the front, in a surprise attack on the enemy camp. Caught off guard, the Yan troops descended into chaos, scrambling to flee for their lives, and their commander Qi Jie was killed in the melee. Tian Dan pursued the retreating forces, while the liberated Qi people organized resistance and reclaimed their lost territory. Thus, the 35-year-long Qi-Yan War finally came to an end, and the Changguo City—once Yue Yi’s fief—returned to Qi control.

Though the Lord of Changguo departed, Changguo City remained an important city in Qi territory. Over half a century later, in 221 BC, Emperor Qin Shi Huang unified China by conquering the six rival states, abolished the feudal system, and implemented the commandery-county system, establishing Changguo County in Changguo City under the jurisdiction of Qi Commandery. From the Western Han Dynasty to the Northern Wei Dynasty, Changguo County was maintained by successive dynasties. Later, due to warfare, Changguo City gradually fell into decline, and by the Sui Dynasty, the name Changguo had vanished from historical records. The Qing Dynasty’s Zichuan County Annals recorded two poems titled “Nostalgia for Changguo City” by Gao Zhaohan of Zichuan:

A few humble thatched cottages stand, The village name still echoes the ancient land.

Amid the spinning wheels’ soft hum, folks gather near, Pointing to rivers and peaks, recalling Yue the Peer.

Twelve rivers lie in broken grace, The ancient city fades, yet finds safe space.

Had the Dragon Scroll held wiser men, The general might not have cast honors then.

This shows that by the late feudal period, the Changguo City area had become desolate, far removed from its former glory. Only in their leisure after hard labor did villagers, gazing at the ruined walls, recall the legendary General Yue Yi who once dominated the land.

By at least the Jin Dynasty, the prominence of Changguo City had been overtaken by Zhangdian, located five li to the northwest. The History of Jin · Geography Records noted that at the time, Zhangdian, along with Jinling to the east and Yanshen to the south, were known as the three major towns of Zichuan. In 1976, Professor Hou Renzhi from the Department of History at Peking University conducted a detailed survey of the Changguo City ruins and concluded that “the transition from Changguo to Zhangdian was not only sequential in time but also connected hydrologically. Tracing the river upstream reveals a clear continuity,” thus referring to Zhangdian—the political, economic, and cultural center of the polycentric city of Zibo—as the “modern Changguo.” The Changguo City, once bearing the glories and trials of General Yue Yi, gradually transformed into the core district of a modern city after more than 20 centuries of vicissitudes, while the Zhulong River that nurtured the land of Changguo devolved into a foul-smelling, polluted ditch. All of this was beyond what General Yue Yi could have ever foreseen.

A five-li walk southeast from downtown Zhangdian leads to the ruins of Warring States-era Changguo City. Within the ancient city walls lies a rural village that still retains the name “Changcheng,” echoing the legacy of King Zhao of Yan’s enfeoffment of General Yue Yi. South of Changcheng Village stands a stone marker designating the municipal-level key cultural relics protection unit, erected by the Zibo Municipal People’s Government in 1984. East of Changcheng Village lies another rural settlement called “Chengdong,” situated just outside the eastern wall of the ancient Changguo City. The total area of the Changguo City ruins is 437,500 square meters. The remnants of the ancient city walls, which had survived for over 2,000 years, were flattened during land leveling in the 1970s. A section in the northwest corner was repurposed as a roadbed. In ancient times, the city had gates in the east, west, south, and north, as well as corner gates at each of the four cardinal points. Approximately five li southeast of the ruins lie Dongyitai and Xiyitai, believed to have been training grounds for martial arts, while about seven li to the south are Caobuling and Caobugou, which were once used for military drills. The 1991 edition of the Zhangdian District Annals documented a place name legend directly linked to General Yue Yi:

The former name of Yuejia Village in Nanding Town was Yueyi Dian Village, a name with deep historical roots passed down through generations.

Yue Yi, the famed Yan general of the Warring States period and descendant of Yue Yang, was exceptionally intelligent. Under the tutelage of eminent masters, he developed extraordinary strategic vision and governance skills aimed at protecting the nation and ensuring the welfare of its people. Eager to serve a wise ruler, he consulted his teacher, who warned: “If you seek service in Qi, they’ll give you forty lashes; if you go to Yan, they’ll brand you a thousand times (with demerits).” After careful consideration, Yue Yi concluded that Qi, with its wealth and power, was the better choice, and so he set off for Qi.

Upon arriving in Qi during the reign of the arrogant and tyrannical King Min of Qi—who waged aggressive wars abroad and oppressed his people at home, drawing widespread discontent—Yue Yi was summoned by the king. When asked about his abilities, Yue Yi outlined his expertise in military strategy and statecraft. However, King Min dismissed his insights as arrogance and had him publicly beaten forty times before banishing him from the capital.

Furious and frustrated, Yue Yi walked along the southwest road. It was midsummer, the weather was scorching, and the combination of rain and sweat made the pain from his club wounds unbearable. He could no longer move his legs, so he lay down to rest in a dilapidated kiln by the roadside—but he never got up again. The local villagers, seeing that although he was badly beaten and extremely weak, his eyes were bright and piercing—not like those of an ordinary man—competed with one another to bring him food, wine, and herbal medicine.

Yue Yi recuperated here for several months. His wounds healed, and he grew familiar with the local people. He then resolved to raise an army here to rebel against Qi. The people in this region had long suffered under the brutal rule of King Min of Qi, and public resentment was already running high. Yue Yi quickly organized and trained a force of several thousand men. Together with them, he dug tunnels and carved out caves to conceal his troops. Yue Yi first went to the State of Wei to request military aid, but the King of Wei, fearing Qi, turned him down. Knowing that the King of Yan harbored a deep grudge against the King of Qi and was determined to attack, Yue Yi set off for Yan under the cover of night. King Zhao of Yan received Yue Yi as an honored guest and was highly impressed by his grand strategies for training troops, governing the state, and uniting to attack Qi. He immediately threw a bamboo tally at Yue Yi, appointing him as Second Minister, in command of the three armies, preparing to invade Qi—this exactly fulfilled Yue Yi’s teacher’s prophecy that “he would go to Yan and strike a thousand (a tally).” Yue Yi told King Zhao of Yan about training the volunteer troops within Qi territory, and the king promptly sent people to deliver a large amount of gold and silver to the volunteer forces. He also built houses near the ruined kiln where Yue Yi had recovered, establishing it as a base for stationing troops and launching military operations.

In 284 BCE, King Zhao of Yan ordered Yue Yi to lead a joint force of five states in an attack on Qi. The several thousand volunteer troops who had gathered at the place where Yue Yi had recovered also rose up to join the battle. Leading the grand army, Yue Yi achieved uninterrupted victories, conquering over 70 cities, and finally captured the Qi capital, Linzi.

For his achievements in the campaign against Qi, Yue Yi was enfeoffed as Lord of Changguo by King Zhao of Yan. He was stationed in Changguo City, ten li north of where he had once recovered from his injuries, and oversaw Qi territory. During his time stationed in Changguo City, Yue Yi reduced corvée labor and taxes, maintained strict but fair laws, and ensured the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. To express their reverence and remembrance of Yue Yi, the locals converted the barracks where he stationed his troops into the Temple of Lord Changguo (also called the Temple of Yue Yi, located north of present-day Yuedian Village; later the temple was abandoned, leaving only the foundation stones). Inside was a seated statue of Yue Yi, which the local people worshipped in all four seasons, with incense burning continuously. They also designated the period of Yue Yi’s recovery here as the date for the temple fair.

The place where Yue Yi stationed his troops developed into a village, named Yueyi Store, later shortened to Yuedian, and eventually evolved into Yuedian. Within dozens of li around the old Changguo City, many elders still remember the saying passed down through generations: “Linzi was the state, Changguo was the city,” meaning that Linzi was originally the capital of Qi, while Changguo was one of its cities.

Having stormed into Qi territory from the foot of the Yan Mountains in North China and brought the might of Yan to its fullest display, General Yue Yi bid farewell to Changguo City with great regret. What we can offer this legendary general today is to take the interests of the nation and its people as our own responsibility, and to build our homeland well through honest labor.

Transportation to the Old Changguo City

Five li southeast of Zhangdian. Take bus route 24 or 8 within the city and get off at Zhangdian.

Changcheng Village: Located two kilometers southeast of Zhangdian urban area, Changcheng Village covers an area of 1,140 mu, with 815 mu of current arable land and 280 mu of forest land, including 200 mu of specialty crops mainly consisting of valuable flowers, plants, and trees used for greening. In 2009, it was listed as part of urban agriculture, with plans to expand urban agriculture by another 200 mu in 2011. The village has a population of 1,410, with 564 households and 53 Party members. There are 13 enterprises in the village, with fixed asset investments of 120 million yuan and annual sales revenue of 180 million yuan. In 2009, the new Changguo Concrete Company was established, with fixed asset investment of 7 million yuan. Residential life…… More detailed information on Changcheng Village++

Further reading:

· Third Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units