Site of the Ancient Jian’an City

Site of the Ancient Jian’an City

The Site of the Ancient Jian’an City is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Henan Province.

Located in Jian’an Village, Tongzhong Town, about 15 kilometers south of Zhengyang County. Remnants of the moat can still be seen around the site, with earthen foundations of the city walls remaining to the south and southwest. The ancient city measured 1,000 meters on each side, covering an area of one million square meters. Most of the site is now farmland, and Provincial Highway 219 runs through it.

Jian’an City was first established during the Northern Wei Dynasty as a key military stronghold in its southern border region. During the struggle between the Northern and Southern Dynasties over Yiyang (today’s Xinyang), Jian’an garrisoned heavy troops to control the Three Passes. After the Sui Dynasty unified China, Jian’an City fell into disuse. The “Inscription on the Reconstruction of the Front and Rear Halls of Jian’anpu and the Installation of Divine Statues,” dated the 15th year of the Jiaqing reign in the Qing Dynasty, states: “About 40 li to the south lies a temple called Jian’anpu, and to its left is a city called Jian’an City. The city is ancient but the temple still stands... ‘Jian’an’ was the reign title of Emperor Xian of Han, and the temple is named after Jian’an just as some temples are named after Xianqing or Kaiyuan. Back then, warlords rose in succession, and the rivalry between Wei and Wu was especially fierce. This place connected Wuchang in the south and ancient Xu in the north. It is believed that soldiers frequently passed through here, often training their armor in this area, which is why people still occasionally find arrowheads after heavy rains. Elders say: this place once hosted military posts to keep the regions of Zheng and Luo in check... Looking east toward the suburbs, the old roads remain.” According to the inscription, the city was likely first built in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. The entry on “Jian’an County” in The Comprehensive Dictionary of Chinese Historical and Modern Place Names states: “Established during the Later Wei Dynasty, it should be located within today’s Henan Province. Research shows that apart from this location, there was no other city named Jian’an in Henan at the time.” Historical records note: “In the third year of the Yongyuan reign of Qi’s Emperor Xiao Baojuan (509 AD), military officers such as Wu Ziyang marched out through the Three Passes (namely Dasui—now Jiuliguan in Xinyang County, Luoshan County; Zhizhuan—now Wusheng Pass; and Ming’e, also called Yan’e, now Pingjing Pass, bordering Yingshan County) to invade Wei but were defeated and retreated. Soon after, the Wei general Tian Yi defended and planned to take Yiyang (today’s Xinyang), stationing Yangzhou troops in Jian’an to guard against reinforcements from the Three Passes.” Given its proximity to the Three Passes, Jian’an undoubtedly refers to the Jian’an in Zhengyang County.

Cultural relics are occasionally unearthed at the site, especially after heavy rains when passersby often find gold coins, gold artifacts, and other objects, indicating the richness of its cultural strata. Furthermore, Jian’an City, named after the reign title of Emperor Xian of Han, was built during the Northern Wei Dynasty as a major military stronghold in the south, providing valuable material evidence for the study of the military, political, and cultural life and customs of the Three Kingdoms period.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Henan Province