The Ancient City of Han Capital in Yiyang

The Ancient City of Han Capital in Yiyang

The Ancient City of Han Capital in Yiyang is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Ancient City of Han Capital in Yiyang was an early capital of the State of Han—one of the Seven Warring States—and is located 25 kilometers west of present-day Yiyang County, on the eastern side of Hancheng Town. It was the political, economic, military, cultural, and transportation center of the State of Han at the time. The site is enormous in scale, with a complete layout, rigorous structure, and excellent preservation. The abundance of unearthed artifacts makes it an objective witness to the historical evolution of the State of Han during the Eastern Zhou period. It holds important value for studying the political systems, economic levels, architectural art, funeral customs, social traditions, and the development history of ancient capitals at the time.

In Yiyang’s Hancheng, there lies a capital city site from the Warring States Period.

By walking eastward along the village road of Chengjiao Village in Hancheng Town, Yiyang County, you can see the remains of a city wall over three meters high running from north to south. According to staff from the Yiyang County Cultural Relics Management Office, this section of the wall is the northern part of the eastern city wall of the Ancient City of Han Capital in Yiyang.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Municipal Second Cultural Relics Work Team conducted preliminary investigations, surveys, and trial excavations of the Ancient City of Han Capital in Yiyang. The results showed that the city had an overall slightly rectangular layout, stretching 1,510 to 2,150 meters from north to south and 1,630 to 1,843 meters from east to west, divided into a palace city and an outer city, covering a total area of 3.1 million square meters. The palace city was located in the northwest corner of the ancient city, protruding northward and situated on a hillside, while its southern part connected to the outer city. Archaeologists discovered numerous tombs in the palace area, likely forming a tomb complex. The outer city was situated in the southeast part of the ancient city, higher in the northwest and lower in the southeast, with a central east-west cliff dividing the outer city into northern and southern sections.

The city walls were all built with rammed earth, among which the eastern and northern walls are better preserved. The eastern wall is 1,515 meters long and 18 to 36 meters wide, with current heights ranging from 3 to 6 meters. The northern wall is 1,843 meters long and 18 to 38 meters wide, with current heights between 1.5 and 8 meters. The western wall is about 2,150 meters long, and the southern wall is about 1,630 meters long.

Archaeologists discovered one city gate each on the eastern and northern sides of the outer city, along with clear remnants of moats outside both walls. On the outer side of the northern wall, five “horse-face” (a type of ancient defensive battlement—projecting rectangular platforms built at intervals along city walls to allow defenders to attack enemies from the side, also known as enemy towers, bastions, or wall platforms) remnants were found, marking the earliest such discoveries in China. Additionally, large amounts of architectural debris were found around some walls, likely belonging to watchtower structures.

In the northwest part of the outer city, archaeologists found three large building foundations, one cluster of kilns, and one main road each running east-west and north-south. Numerous related tombs, beacon towers, and other relics were also distributed around the outer city. Furthermore, a large number of bronze weapons such as ge (dagger-axes) and spears from the Warring States Period, as well as hollow-handle spade coins (one of the earliest metal currencies, cast by states such as Jin, Zheng, and Wei during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods), were discovered in the farmlands within and around the city.

Massive in scale, it was once a transportation hub, commercial hub, and military stronghold

Experts note that the Ancient City of Han Capital in Yiyang was grand in scale and required massive engineering efforts. The city was likely constructed over a long period before the State of Han moved its capital. Historical records indicate that the State of Han originally had its capital in Pingyang (present-day Linfen, Shanxi). In the second year of King Weilie of Zhou (424 BC), Marquis Wu of Han moved the capital to Yiyang. By the reign of King Jinghou of Han (408–407 BC), the capital was moved again to Yangzhai (present-day Yuzhou, Henan). Thus, Yiyang served as the capital of the State of Han during the reign of Marquis Wu (424–407 BC). After that, the city remained in use for over a thousand years until it was abandoned due to warfare during the Northern Dynasties period.

The Ancient City of Han Capital in Yiyang was a renowned commercial city during the Warring States Period. The Strategies of the Eastern Zhou states: “The city of Yiyang spans eight li, houses 100,000 elite soldiers, and has grain supplies for several years.” This shows that Yiyang was a large, densely populated city with abundant resources at the time. In recent years, a large number of Warring States coins have been unearthed around the city, further proving its commercial prosperity and economic development.

The Ancient City of Han Capital in Yiyang was also a military stronghold of the State of Han. Historical records state that in 308 BC, King Wu of Qin “sought to open a chariot route through the Three Rivers to spy on the Zhou royal house,” and sent his chancellor Gan Mao to “attack Yiyang, but after five months could not capture it,” resulting in “heavy casualties for the Qin army.” This illustrates the strategic defensibility, solid fortifications, and difficulty of capturing Yiyang. A wealth of historical materials also confirms that the city not only held significant strategic importance during the Warring States Period but remained a military stronghold during the subsequent Han, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties periods.

In addition, the Ancient City of Han Capital in Yiyang was an important transportation hub in ancient China. Historically, three major transport routes converged here. The first is the Two Capitals Road: from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods to the Tang and Song dynasties, this east-west route connected the two capitals of Luoyang and Xi’an. Exiting the Hangu Pass, it proceeded southeast from Shaanxi along the southern foothills of the Xiaoshan Mountains, passing through Yanling Pass, Gongqian, Hedixi, Hancheng, and then east to Luoyang, or further to regions such as Zheng, Song, Qi, and Lu.

The second is the Qin-Chu Corridor: exiting the Hangu Pass from Qin, following the southern foothills of the Xiaoshan Mountains eastward, crossing the Luo River south of Hancheng, and then the Yi River, leading to the southern lands. This road connected western Qin and Long to the south, reaching Wu and Chu, serving as a major trade route.

The third is the Jin-Chu Passage: traveling south from southern Jin, crossing the river from the northern bank of today’s Sanmenxia, following Shanzhou and Hancheng to reach the southern lands. Historically, the salt from the Hedong region was transported southward via this route.

All three routes used Hancheng as a hub. Until the early years of the Republic of China, when the Longhai and Beijing-Guangzhou railways were opened, Hancheng retained its status as a key transportation hub.

Looking to the long term: protecting and developing this precious cultural heritage

According to experts, overall, the Ancient City of Han Capital in Yiyang is one of the better-preserved capital cities of the Eastern Zhou states. Most of the eastern and northern walls still stand three to eight meters above ground, 85% of the city’s area remains undamaged by villages or buildings, and the underground cultural layers are rich and well-preserved.

Under the premise of effective protection, the historical and cultural resources of the site can be reasonably developed and displayed to drive the local tourism, cultural industry, and related sectors. First, authentic relics should be protected and exhibited—for example, the well-preserved cross-section at the northeast corner of the city wall can be conserved and presented appropriately, complemented by environmental management and beautification projects to highlight the historical weight and vicissitudes of the wall. The earthen mounds and tombs within the site can be greened and marked with plaques, with hiking paths planned along tourist routes to improve visibility and interest. Additionally, relics such as horse-faces, watchtowers, and gates can be restored to recreate the cultural landscape of the Ancient City of Han Capital in Yiyang, enriching the visitor experience.

The Ancient City of the State of Han in Yiyang was listed in the third batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units in 2000, included in the “12th Five-Year Plan” national list of 150 major heritage sites in 2010, and designated as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council in May 2013.

Extended Reading:

· Third Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units