Ancient City of Feng Yi

Ancient City of Feng Yi

The Ancient City of Feng Yi is a cultural heritage site protected by Henan Province.

Ancient City of Feng Yi

Located in the western part of Lizhuangzhai Village, Yangshao Town, the ancient city site was built at the confluence of two streams running from east to west—north of the Huixi River. Walls were constructed only on the south, north, and west sides; the eastern wall had not been completed when the war ended. The base of the city walls is 20 meters wide, the top is 5 meters wide, the remaining height is 20 meters, and the perimeter is 200 meters. It was a castle built for warfare. This unfinished remnant fortress is the vestige of the Eastern Han Dynasty general Feng Yi, who built fortifications and held his ground during the great battle against the Red Eyebrows Army at Xiadi (now the area around Sunshine Valley) in the third year of the Jianwu era (27 AD), hence the name "Feng Yi City." Feng Yi, courtesy name Gongsun, was a native of Fucheng in Yingchuan (present-day Baofeng). He once resisted the Han forces under Wang Mang but later pledged allegiance to Liu Xiu. He rendered outstanding service in Liu Xiu’s establishment of the Eastern Han regime, particularly in suppressing the Red Eyebrows Army in the third year of Jianwu, which earned him high praise from Liu Xiu. Liu Xiu once issued an edict stating: "With the defeat of the Red Eyebrows Army and the hardships borne by the soldiers, though initially they had their wings clipped at Huixi, they ultimately soared again at Mianchi..." (See the Book of the Later Han for details). The city walls of Feng Yi are made of earthen materials, with uneven thickness in the soil layers and inconsistent spacing of the rammed earth pits. This indicates that the structure was built under urgent circumstances. Despite more than 2,000 years of weathering, the walls have not deteriorated significantly and still hold reference value for the study of ancient civil engineering. On September 25, 2000, it was designated as a third batch provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit by the People's Government of Henan Province.

Feng Yi (?–34 AD), courtesy name Gongsun, was a native of Fucheng in Yingchuan (present-day eastern Baofeng, Henan). He was a renowned general of the Eastern Han Dynasty's revival and one of the "Twenty-Eight Generals of the Cloud Terrace."

Submission to Liu Xiu

In the final years of the Xin Dynasty, Feng Yi once served as a county official in Yingchuan Commandery. In 22 AD (the third year of the Dihuang era), Liu Yan raised an army. Feng Yi was ordered to oversee five counties and, along with Miao Meng, the magistrate of Fucheng County, defended the city against the Han forces. In 23 AD (the first year of the Gengshi era), Liu Xuan established the Gengshi regime. Liu Xiu led his troops from Nanyang to capture Yingchuan and attack Fucheng but failed to take the city, so he stationed his army in Zhongche Township, a subordinate town of Fucheng. While inspecting the subordinate counties, Feng Yi was captured by the Han army... More details about Feng Yi++

Lizhuangzhai Village: Lizhuangzhai Village... More details about Lizhuangzhai Village++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units