Ruins of Yuyang City

Yancheng Ruins

The Yancheng Ruins are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Yancheng Ruins are situated on a flat, elevated area northeast of Gaocheng Town in Dengfeng City. It served as a key military stronghold in the western part of the Zheng State during the Spring and Autumn period and the Han State during the Warring States period. The site follows the contours of the land, with mountains to the north and water to the south, sloping from north to south, constructed along the natural terrain. It is rectangular in shape, approximately 2,000 meters long from north to south and 700 meters wide from east to west, covering a total area of 1.4 million square meters. The city walls were built from rammed earth, with some sections having a base layer of cobblestones. The rammed layers are 6–9 cm thick, each bearing circular ramming pits. In the central-northern part of the city lies a large architectural site, where remnants of floor tiles are found on the foundation. This area also contains a large quantity of bricks, tiles, and pottery fragments. Eight ancient water supply facilities have been discovered here, consisting of terracotta water pipes (including tees and crosses), flow-control pits, sedimentation tanks for clarifying muddy water, and storage reservoirs — reflecting the advanced level of urban water infrastructure at the time. Additionally, the site has yielded fragments of ironware, bronze arrowheads, and pottery items such as li tripods, cauldrons, basins, bowls, jars, and vessels. Some pottery pieces are stamped with inscriptions like “Yancheng Granary Ware” and “Yancheng,” along with other ceramic symbols, confirming that this site was indeed the Yancheng of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

The discovery of this site holds significant value for the study of urban layout, rammed earth wall construction techniques, and urban water supply systems during China’s Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

Source: Zhengzhou Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics

Gaocheng Town: Originally known as ancient Yancheng, Gaocheng Town was renamed by Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty in 696 AD after she ascended Mount Song and conferred the title of "Central Sacred Mountain" upon it. She chose the name “Gaocheng” (meaning “great achievement accomplished”) to mark the successful feat. Located about 1 km southeast of Dengfeng City, Gaocheng lies between Mount Song and Mount Jishan, with the Ying River flowing through its heart. According to the Qing Dynasty Qianlong-era county annals: “Both Yancheng and Mount Taishi are at the center of the Nine Provinces and hold a very important geographical position.” It has long been regarded as the “Heart of Heaven and Center of Earth.” The town stretches 15 km from north to south and 8 km from east to west, forming an inverted “hand” shape, covering a total area of 87 square kilometers. It administers 24 administrative villages, 195 villager groups, and has a total population of 43,806, including an agricultural … [More detailed information about Gaocheng Town]++