The Daban Site and Tomb Complex of Liye

The Daban Site and Tomb Complex of Liye

The Daban Site and Tomb Complex of Liye is a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

The Daban Site and Tomb Complex of Liye, located in Longshan County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province, was approved by the National Cultural Heritage Administration in April 2013 and inscribed as part of the seventh batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level, with the designation number 7-0375-1-375.

In Daban Village, Liye Town, the ruins of an ancient city from the Western Han Dynasty and a large and imposing cluster of Han tombs were discovered. The distribution area of the Han tombs spans over one square kilometer, with dense tomb chambers and rich burial goods. The ancient city of Daban in the Western Han Dynasty is surrounded by mountains and water, situated strategically to guard the passes between Chu and Shu, exuding a formidable presence. The Maitcha Tomb Complex from the Warring States Period is located southeast of Maitcha Village in Liye Town, covering an area of about 4 square kilometers. In 1989, 55 tombs were excavated, all of which were earthen pit vertical shaft tombs. Among the unearthed bronze artifacts were swords, halberds, seals, mirrors, chime bells, bells, and belt hooks; pottery items included tripods, dou vessels, jars, bowls, ding vessels, pots, gui vessels, spinning whorls, as well as glass tubes, jade discs, fragments of ironware, and stone ornaments. Among them, the slender bronze swords of the Ba people, such as willow-leaf swords, were exquisitely crafted and exceptionally sharp—truly priceless treasures of the ancient world—and were classified as national first-class cultural relics. These thousands of ancient tombs, together with three ancient cities, form a cohesive urban system that provides the most valuable scientific evidence for the study of the history of the Warring States, Qin, and Han periods.

The Eastern Han Daban Site and Tombs of Liye in Longshan County, along with the Western Han ancient city site of Weijiazhai in Baojing, the Sifangcheng Site, the Buyimen Site in Yongshun, and the Yangfeng Ancient City Site, were included among the newly added 1,943 Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

Liye Town: Jiasi Township and Liye Town have been merged administratively to form Liye Town.

Liye Town is located 124 kilometers south of Longshan County. It borders Neixi Township to the north, Zage Township to the east, Baojing County to the south, and Xiushan County of Chongqing Municipality to the west. During the Republican era, it was part of Sijia Township. In 1950, it was divided into Wujia, Daban, and Zhuoluo townships under the Fifth District. In 1958, the Liye People's Commune was established, and in 1987, the commune and town were merged to become Liye Town. The total area is 165 square kilometers, including 447.4 hectares of paddy fields and 708.2 hectares of dry land. There are three neighborhood committees (Zhongfu, Liye, and Maitcha), as well as Liuping, Daban, Longyan, Honghua, Taiping,... More detailed information about Liye Town++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Hunan Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level