Ancient Cultural Site of Bawangtai

Ancient Cultural Site of Bawangtai

The Ancient Cultural Site of Bawangtai is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural relic protection unit of Henan Province.

The Ancient Cultural Site of Bawangtai is located in Bawangtai Village, Zhangji Township, approximately 25 kilometers southeast of Huangchuan County. It faces the Ancient Cultural Site of Longwangtai across the water, lies 1.5 kilometers from Sanhecha at the southeastern corner (where stone axes and chisels have been unearthed), and about 2 kilometers from the site where stone millstones of the Peidonggang type culture were found. The site rises 3–5 meters above the ground, taking an irregular rectangular shape, approximately 560 meters long from north to south and 470 meters wide from east to west.

Legend has it that Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, passed through this area and ordered his soldiers to pile up earth with their clothes, forming the mound overnight. Xiang Yu set up camp here, hence the name Bawangtai (Hegemon-King’s Mound).

Bawangtai is over 4 meters high, 310 meters long from north to south, and 300 meters wide from east to west. On the northwest side of the mound, there is a narrow sloping path serving as the access road. A large number of cultural relics have been unearthed on and around the mound, including two stone millstones, one broken stone mill handle, as well as stone axes, chisels, tripods, cauldrons, basins, jars, and pots. The cultural layer containing the stone millstones is grayish-yellow in color, with hard soil and a thickness of 0.6–0.8 meters, located about 1.5 meters beneath the surface. The stone millstone is rectangular, resembling the sole of a shoe, 22 cm wide at the front, slightly pointed at the top, 17.8 cm wide at the back, rounded and blunt at the rear, narrowing at the waist, and supported by four cylindrical feet. It measures 49.7 cm in total length and 7.5 cm in height. The entire piece is finely polished and shows clear signs of use. Around the stone millstone, numerous pottery fragments were found in the cultural layer, though most are broken and their shapes indiscernible.

Humanistic History

Judging from the characteristics of the stone millstones and the unearthed pottery fragments, these artifacts are believed to date back to the Peiligang culture type, with a history of 7,000–8,000 years. They serve as the earliest historical evidence in the Xinyang region and also the earliest testament to agriculture in the area. Research indicates that this site lies at the southernmost edge of the Peiligang culture distribution, providing reliable physical material for studying the long history of Huangchuan County and exploring the southern reach of the Peiligang culture.

Although the Bawangtai site has endured over 2,000 years of wind and rain erosion, it remains well-preserved. The site contains abundant physical specimens and has drawn widespread attention from professionals. A protected area has now been designated.

The Huangchuan County People's Committee designated it as a county-level key cultural relic protection unit in Document (61) Hui Wen Zi No. 3. The People's Government of Henan Province listed it as a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit in Document (1986) No. 111.

Bawangtai Village: Located 2.5 kilometers north of the Zhangji Township government, Bawangtai Village enjoys convenient transportation, bordering National Highway 312 to the north and traversed by Taoshuang Road. The village comprises 17 villager groups, with a total of 2,800 mu of arable land, a population of 2,300, and over 480 households. It currently has one primary school, one standardized health clinic, and a standardized cultural square built at the village committee. The village has achieved “access to water, electricity, and internet.” The main agricultural activities are traditional crop farming, producing rice, wheat, and rapeseed. In response to government initiatives, the village is also actively promoting the “rice-shrimp co-culture” model... More details about Bawangtai Village++