The Shuangzhong Site in Huaiyang

The Shuangzhong Site in Huaiyang

The Shuangzhong Site in Huaiyang is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Shuangzhong Site is located to the north of Shuangzhong Village, Wangdian Township, southeast of the county seat, about 1.5 kilometers north of the Pingliangtai Ancient City site and east of the Cai River. It is a site containing cultural remains from the Longshan, Erlitou, and Shang periods. It was designated as a county-level cultural relics protection unit in 1962.

Currently, the two mounds are 20 meters and 16 meters high respectively, covering an area of about 5,740 square meters, and are built of rammed earth. Beneath the mounds lies a broad ancient cultural site spanning approximately 52,800 square meters, with an average cultural layer depth of around 5 meters. The site contains abundant relics, and to the southeast of the mounds there are red-fired earthen house foundations. It is a site of an ancient village that was densely populated and relatively large in scale.

After 1972, artifacts such as pottery spinning whorls, pottery net sinkers, stone shovels, stone axes, and stone adzes were unearthed, along with a large number of deer antlers, clam shells, and bones of pigs, sheep, dogs, and cattle. Identifiable pottery fragments include bowl-shaped ding vessels and wide-mouthed yan steamers from the Longshan Culture period, as well as ding vessels and yan steamers from the Erlitou Culture period, and large-mouthed zun vessels and flared-rim urns from the Shang Dynasty.

The 1916 (5th year of the Republic of China) edition of the "Huaiyang County Annals" records: “The Shuangzhong are twelve li southeast of the city, two mounds connected, about six or seven zhang high. During the Spring and Autumn period, a woman from Chen married the Duke of Wei Zhuang, gave birth to Xiao Bo who died young, her younger sister Dai Gui gave birth to Duke Huan, and a favored concubine gave birth to Zhou Xu. After the Duke’s death, Duke Huan ascended the throne, but Zhou Xu assassinated him and declared himself ruler. The two Gui women returned to Chen in disgrace, and after their deaths, they were buried here.” Hence the name Shuangzhong (Twin Mounds).

In 2019, the Shuangzhong Site was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Source: Huaiyang Government Website

Wangdian Township: Also known as Shierli Wangdian (Twelve-Li Wangdian), it got its name because it is twelve Chinese miles from the county seat of Huaiyang. It is located south of Huaiyang City, facing Chengguan Town across a lake, bordering Dalian Township and Liuzhentun Township to the east, Xuwantun Township and Liuzhentun Township to the south, and Zhengji Township and Xuwantun Township to the west. The township stretches 10 kilometers from north to south and 8 kilometers from east to west, covering a total area of 54 square kilometers. It administers 31 administrative villages, 148 natural villages, 301 villager groups, 16,933 households, a population of 69,506, and 6,900 mu of arable land.

Wangdian is close to the county seat and lies at a key point along the north-south thoroughfare, situated... Detailed information on Wangdian Township++

Further reading:

· Fifth Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units