The Gebutun Ruins

The Gebutun Ruins

The Gebutun Ruins are a cultural tourism attraction.

The Gebutun Ruins are located north of Yuzhuangzhai Village, Shiqiao Township, Ningling County, approximately 11 kilometers from the county seat. Legend has it that during the time of King Tang of the Shang Dynasty, the noble of the Ge tribe was arrogant and refused to perform ancestral worship rituals. When questioned by Tang, the noble of Ge claimed he had no cattle or sheep. Tang then sent him cattle and sheep, but Ge had them slaughtered and eaten without performing the rites. When questioned again, Ge claimed he had no millet or grain to offer. Tang then ordered the able-bodied young men of his own clan to till the land on behalf of the Ge people, and had the young and weak deliver food. Ge responded by sending men to loot the food, and a child who resisted the robbery was killed. Enraged, Tang launched a military campaign and destroyed the State of Ge. The tomb of the slain child is known as the Tongxianɡu Duī (Child Sacrifice Mound). According to Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), “Tang campaigned against the feudal lords, and since the lord of Ge did not perform ancestral worship, Tang began his campaign against him.”