Shangbao Wulie King’s Ancient City

Shangbao Wulie King’s Ancient City

Shangbao Wulie King’s Ancient City is a cultural heritage site protected by the Hunan Provincial Government.

Shangbao Village is a Dong ethnic village situated at the intersection of the Xuefeng Mountain foothills and the Wuling Mountain range, right at the heart of the Huangsong National Nature Reserve. Its charm is also deeply rooted in its rich historical and cultural legacy. With a long history, since the Song Dynasty, a branch of the Dong people surnamed Yang migrated from other regions to the deep mountains around Huangsong. During the Zhengtong era (1436–1449) of the Ming Dynasty, a sizable Dong settlement formed here. Later, during the Tianshun era (1457–1464), Li Tianbao from Macheng, claiming to be a descendant of Emperor Taizong of Tang, led an uprising of tens of thousands of ethnic minorities including Miao, Yao, and Dong from Hunan, Guangxi, and Guizhou. He built a Golden Palace on Shangbao and declared himself the “Wulie King.” Thereafter, Li Tianbao established a centralized monarchy modeled after the Han Chinese imperial court, with Shangbao as its center. This incident shocked the Ming imperial court, which sent troops to suppress the rebellion, leading to its eventual failure.

Today, Shangbao Village preserves a wealth of cultural relics and historic sites. The entire Dong village of Shangbao has been designated as the “Shangbao Wulie King’s Ancient City,” listed as part of the ninth batch of provincial-level cultural heritage sites in Hunan Province. The ruins of the Golden Palace are protected as a municipal-level cultural heritage site. Other historical relics include the General Platform, the ancient military training and horse-training grounds, beacon towers, and more.

Huangsongping Miao Ethnic Township: Huangsongping Miao Ethnic Township, Chaoyi Dong Ethnic Township, and Zhaishi Miao-Dong Ethnic Township have been merged to form the new Zhaishi Miao-Dong Ethnic Township.

A township under the jurisdiction of Suining County. Established as Huangsongping Township in 1956, it was incorporated into Zaishi Commune in 1958, then split off to become Huangsongping Commune in 1961. In 1981, it was renamed Miao Ethnic Commune, and in 1984 became Huangsongping Miao Ethnic Township. Located in the southwestern part of the county, it is 35 kilometers from the county seat, covers an area of 241 square kilometers, and has a population of 5,000. The township government is based in Huangsongping. The Huangsong–Zaishi Highway connects to Provincial Road 1805, and there are simple roads leading to various villages. The township administers Chiban Village, Tan’ni… More details about Huangsongping Miao Ethnic Township ++

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Hunan Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites