Xishui Slope Site

Xishui Slope Site

The Xishui Slope Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Xishui Slope Site is located in Puyang City, Henan Province, and dates from the Neolithic Age through the Eastern Zhou Dynasty to the Han Dynasty.

In May 1987, a large-scale ancient tomb complex was discovered at Xishui Slope, containing cultural remains from several periods including the Yangshao, Longshan, Eastern Zhou, and Han Dynasties, with the Yangshao culture being the most abundant. Tomb No. 45 is the most remarkable, with clam-shell sculptures of a dragon and a tiger placed on the east and west sides of the tomb owner, respectively. Scientific dating has determined these to be over 6,400 years old. The image of the dragon is the earliest, largest, and most lifelike ever discovered in China, and has been hailed by experts as the “No. 1 Dragon of China.”

Historical records indicate that the ancient city of the Wei State disappeared following a Yellow River flood during the Han Dynasty, being buried underground all at once. Analysis suggests that the underground area likely preserves the well-preserved structural layout of the ancient city, making it an extremely rare cultural relic of great cultural and archaeological value. In May 2013, it was designated as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units