The Ancient City of Qisi

The Ancient City of Qisi

The Ancient City of Qisi is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Henan Province.

The Ancient City of Qisi is located in the middle-southern area where the Bailu River and the Huai River converge, about thirty Chinese miles southeast of Huibin County, and serves as the seat of the Qisi Town Government of Huibin County. The ruins of the ancient city are rectangular in shape.

The Ancient City of Qisi is located in the middle-southern area where the Bailu River and the Huai River meet, approximately 15 kilometers southeast of Huibin County in Xinyang City, and is the seat of the Qisi Town Government of Huibin County. To the north of the ancient city lies the Xiaosih River, which flows from north to south and then bends eastward beneath the city. North of the city and west of the Xiaosih River is a hilly area, while east of the river lies a lowland. About four Chinese miles south of the city is a small hilly region that slopes down to the Bailu River over a distance of ten li, forming the Caowan grassland. The Ancient City of Qisi is situated on a hilly area surrounded by lowlands on the east, south, and north.

The ruins of the ancient city are rectangular in shape, measuring 1,700 meters from east to west and 400–500 meters from north to south. Except for the northern side, which is adjacent to the Xiaosih River and level with the ground inside the city, leaving no visible wall remains, the walls on the other three sides are still partially visible. The remaining wall ruins stand 2–4 meters high, with a base width of around 32 meters. Traces of the moat remain on the eastern and southern sides. Within the area of the ancient city ruins, a wealth of surface artifacts has been found. Collected items include pottery tripods and li tripod leg fragments from the Shang and Zhou dynasties; bronze swords, bronze halberds, bronze spears, bronze tripods, bronze pots, and a large number of bronze coins—ant nose coins—from the Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn, and Warring States periods. A piece of Chu gold currency from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, known as "Yingyuan," was also discovered, along with Han Dynasty stone seals and other relics.

During the Western Zhou Dynasty, Qisi was the site of the former capital of the Jiang State. It was conquered by the Chu State during the Spring and Autumn period and became the Qisi township. In the Han Dynasty, it was established as Qisi County. In the fourth year of the Tianjian era of the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties, it became the Qisi Prefecture. In the Chen Dynasty, it was made the Biancheng Commandery, and in the Sui Dynasty, the commandery was abolished and reverted to county status. In the early Tang Dynasty, Qisi County was abolished and has since been under the jurisdiction of Gushi. In August 1952, Huibin County was established, and Qisi has since been under the administration of Huibin.

In 1978, a cultural relics survey was conducted, leading to the establishment of a cultural heritage protection team. In 1982, the Huibin County People's Government designated it as a county-level key cultural heritage protection unit. In 1986, it was proclaimed a provincial-level cultural heritage protection unit by the provincial government, with its protected area delineated and signage installed. It is currently well preserved.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units