Yiguo Tombs

Yiguo Tombs

The Yiguo Tombs are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Yiguo Tombs are located on the Zhuyang Ridge in Beizhi Village, Xuezhuang Township, Xinhua District, Pingdingshan City, Henan Province. The southern section of Zhuyang Ridge is the eastern embankment of the Ying River, a tributary of the Sha River, with the Bai gui Reservoir to its south and the Ying Mountain lying to the west across the Ying River. Since ancient times, this area has been known as a “treasure land,” with bronze ware and jade artifacts frequently unearthed from the ridge, and tomb raiders often digging illegally on the site. In 1979, workers at a brick kiln in Beizhi Village unearthed a bronze gui while digging for clay. It was sold to a scrap collection station but eventually recovered by staff from the Pingdingshan Cultural Relics Management Committee after several twists and turns. Based on the inscriptions on the bronze gui, it was identified as part of the dowry gifted by the daughter of the ruler of the State of Deng when she married into the State of Ying. This led to the discovery of the aristocratic cemetery of the State of Ying.

After the discovery of the Duke of Deng’s gui, preliminary archaeological surveys and drillings were conducted at the tomb site. In the second half of 1986, the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and the Pingdingshan Cultural Relics Management Committee jointly formed an archaeological team for the Yiguo Tombs. From 1986 to 1997, they carried out 11 years of excavation work. A total of over 310 tombs were excavated, including nearly 20 tombs belonging to rulers of the State of Ying and their consorts. More than 10,000 cultural relics were unearthed, among which over 200 pieces of inscribed bronze ware were found.

The Yiguo Tombs are primarily the burial grounds of aristocrats from the State of Ying during the Zhou Dynasty, and also include some tombs of Chu nobility after the fall of Ying, as well as commoner tombs from the Han Dynasty. A total of 42 tombs of the State of Ying have been excavated here, arranged in an orderly fashion and exhibiting the characteristics of a “clan cemetery.” Thousands of cultural relics have been unearthed, mainly bronze ware and jade artifacts. The inscriptions on the bronze items involve rituals such as the Grand Archery Ceremony and court visits, imperial temple titles, and mourning attire systems, all of which hold significant value for the study of ancient ritual systems and the history of feudal states. The well-organized arrangement of the rulers’ tombs provides valuable material for dating tombs of the same period.

In May 2006, the Yiguo Tombs, as ancient tombs from the Zhou to the Han periods, were approved by the State Council to be included in the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Zhuyang Town: Located in the western part of the city, Zhuyang Town neighbors Lushan and Baofeng. The town covers a total area of 32.4 square kilometers, with 28,000 mu of arable land. It administers 18 administrative villages, 29 natural villages, and 105 villager groups, with a total population of approximately 26,800.

Zhuyang Town has a long history and profound culture. It served as the capital of the State of Ying during the Western Zhou Dynasty, boasting over a thousand years of cultural heritage and beautiful legends, exerting considerable influence both at home and abroad. Pingdingshan, also known as Eagle City, derives its name from the “Jade Eagle” symbolizing the totem of the State of Ying. This artifact was unearthed from the site of the ancient noble tombs of the State of Ying in the former location of Zhuyang Town.

New Town…… More details about Zhuyang Town++

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units