The Shunping Zicheng Ruins

The Shunping Zicheng Ruins

The Shunping Zicheng Ruins are a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Hebei Province.

The Shunping Zicheng Ruins are located in the Zicheng Village area of Shunping County and are ancient ruins from the Warring States and Han dynasties. On July 23, 1982, the Shunping Zicheng Ruins were designated as a provincial-level cultural heritage site by the People's Government of Hebei Province.

The Zicheng Ruins date back to the Warring States and Han periods and are located in the area of Dawang and Zicheng villages, about 10 kilometers southeast of Shunping County town in Gaoyupu Town. They were the site of the ancient county seat of Quni during the Warring States period. The existing ruins cover a total area of approximately 100,000 square meters.

The Zicheng Ruins were originally the ancient administrative center of Shunping County. Legend has it that Danzhu, the son of Emperor Yao, was unfilial and was banished by Yao, who then had a city built here for his residence. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the State of Jin established the Niuchouyi settlement here, and during the Warring States Period, the Zhongshan State set up Quni here. According to "Records of the Grand Historian – The House of the Marquis of Chen," "When Emperor Gaozu passed south through Quni, he ascended the city walls and observed the large houses, remarking, 'What a grand county this is. Throughout my travels across the land, I have only seen Luoyang comparable to this place.'" This indicates that the city was indeed quite sizable. The ancient city ruins are rectangular, with each side measuring 2,500 meters. The cultural layer reaches a depth of 2.5 meters. Most of the Zicheng walls have collapsed, but sections remain: 422 meters of the southern wall, 200 meters of the eastern wall, 234 meters of the northern wall, and 280 meters of the western wall. The walls are about 25 meters wide and stand approximately 7.5 meters high at their highest remaining points. The large scale and rich content of the Zicheng Ruins are rare among city sites from the same period in Hebei Province. The surviving relics, dating from the Warring States and Han periods, provide valuable material for the study of urban construction during that era.

Further Reading:

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