Han Dynasty Ritual Architecture Foundations at Mangdang Mountain

Han Dynasty Ritual Architecture Foundations at Mangdang Mountain

The Han Dynasty Ritual Architecture Foundations at Mangdang Mountain are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Era: Han Dynasty

In 2006, the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology excavated a large-scale Han Dynasty architectural foundation on the main peak of Mangdang Mountain in Yongcheng City. The site is located at the center of the Western Han Dynasty Liang Kings' Tomb Cluster and consists of a structure primarily built with stone and wood, possibly serving as an extremely important ceremonial site.

The structure preserves a nearly square-shaped stone platform base, measuring 33.5 meters from north to south and 31.5 meters from east to west, covering an area of 1,055 square meters, with its eastern part already damaged. The platform is enclosed by neatly cut stone slabs forming walls, with the core consisting of natural bedrock and the top made of rammed earth. When the site was discovered, the rammed earth on the top had been removed, exposing the bedrock, and the surrounding remnants of the platform were also severely damaged. The bedrock was originally encircled by stone walls, with the eastern and western sections relatively well-preserved, and some parts of the stone walls still remaining. This architectural foundation is situated on the main peak of Mangdang Mountain. Although no Liang King's tomb has been found on the main peak itself, the eastern, western, and southern peaks all contain burials of Liang Kings, suggesting that the entire Liang Kings’ Tomb Complex centers around this mountain peak, with tombs distributed around it.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units