Wugu Terrace

Wugu Terrace

Huaiyang’s Wugu Terrace is the place where the Yan Emperor, Shennong, initially established his capital and laid the foundations of his reign. The area around Wugu Terrace boasts superior natural and geographical conditions. It was here that Shennong pioneered primitive agriculture, making it one of the central regions of early human activity in China. According to the “Annals of the Emperors” by Huangfu Mi of the Western Jin Dynasty, the Yan Emperor, Shennong, “initially made Chen (present-day Huaiyang, Henan) his capital and began teaching people how to cultivate the Five Grains.” The “Yanzhou Prefecture Annals” also contain similar records: “He first created the ploughshare and hoe, taught the people how to sow the Five Grains, and thus was called the Yan Emperor. He initially made Chen his capital, then later moved to Qufu.” The “Huaiyang County Annals” further record: “Around the 30th century BCE, it is said that the Yan Emperor, Shennong, made Chen his capital, tasted hundreds of herbs to develop herbal medicine, cultivated the Five Grains, and taught the people how to farm.” It also states: “Wugu Terrace is located five kilometers northeast of the county town in Wugu Terrace Village, also known as Wugu Camp, the place where Shennong taught the people to cultivate the Five Grains. Its site has now been destroyed.” According to local folklore: the terrace was originally over ten feet high, covering an area of ten mu, with temples built on top and statues of Shennong erected. On the fifth day of the first lunar month, the birthday of Shennong, and the 28th day of the fourth lunar month, his birthday celebration, people would come to worship. Locals would flock here to pay homage and pray for bountiful harvests, peace, and good health; throughout history, officials and nobles have visited in an endless stream. Cao Zhi, who once ruled over Chen, wrote the poem “Ode to Shennong,” praising the virtues of the Yan Emperor, Shennong:

Descendant of Shaodian, fire virtue yielding wood;

He crafted the ploughshare and hoe, teaching people to sow grain.

He made refined zithers to refine the customs.

It is said that Wugu Terrace was once the second-largest temple complex in Huaiyang after the “Taihao Mausoleum,” a significant cultural and historical landmark, hence it was designated as one of the “Seven Terraces and Eight Scenic Spots of Huaiyang.” It is also said that there were nine wells on the terrace, with the central one located beneath the pedestal of the Shennong statue. Due to years of neglect and multiple floods, the terrace gradually flattened, and the Shennong Well was buried and silted up, its location unknown — a great pity.

The legend of the Nine Wells at Wugu Terrace in Huaiyang can be confirmed by the annotation in “Records of the Grand Historian” that “there is a Shennong Well in Chen.” Historical texts record a magical legend about the Shennong Well: when Shennong was born, nine wells appeared on the ground, and when water was drawn from one well, the water in the other eight would ripple. This aligns with what is recorded in the “Commentary on the Water Classic · Miu River” and the “Records of Jingzhou”: “After Shennong was born, the nine wells spontaneously formed; drawing water from one caused the others to move.”

In the past, villagers in Wugu Terrace, Huaiyang, had the custom of brewing medicinal wine for rheumatism using ancestral secret recipes; nearby villages were also known for their “Jiuli Gully Plasters,” which were famous far and wide. All these support the records that Shennong, who made Chen his capital, “tasted hundreds of herbs to develop herbal medicine.” In addition, the Huaiyang folk toy known as “Nini Gou” (Clay Dog), hailed as a “living fossil of humanity,” is mainly produced in Wugu Terrace and more than ten nearby villages such as Jinzhuang, Wuying, Dinglou, and Chenying. The tradition of making Nini Gou continues to this day, becoming a highlight of Huaiyang’s folk culture.

Today, Wugu Terrace features a one-mu-high platform with nine temple rooms built on it, housing a statue of the Yan Emperor, Shennong. It was gradually constructed in the 1980s by local residents who voluntarily donated funds on the ruins of part of the original terrace. Its scale is far from reaching the grandeur of the historical landscape. Fortunately, responding to the county government’s call to “build Huaiyang into a cultural tourism city,” local residents are determined to rebuild the former capital of the Yan Emperor, Shennong’s Wugu Terrace. The planned scenic area covers 2,000 mu and will include a worship area, cultural zone, agricultural garden, herb garden, farming tools museum, and more. It will become a comprehensive tourist base integrating ancient and modern agricultural technology with patriotic education.

Address: 5 kilometers northeast of Huaiyang County, Zhoukou City, Henan Province

Phone: 0394-2660040

Information Source: Huaiyang Government Website