Ancient Songcheng Site

Ancient Songcheng Site

The Ancient Songcheng Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Songzi County was a Yue settlement during the Warring States period, established in 770 BCE. According to *Records of the Grand Historian: The House of Duke Zhao of Yan*, in the fourth year of King Xi of Yan, Li Fu attacked Zhao, and the king personally led his troops, passing through Songzi. It was occupied by the Qin in 228 BCE and became Songzi County. As recorded in *Biographies of Assassins*, “After the Qin conquered Yan, Gao Jianli went into hiding and worked in Songzi,” referring to this place. In the early Western Han Dynasty, Liu Bang enfeoffed Xu ? as the Marquis of Songzi, elevating Songzi County to a marquisate. In the second year of the Middle Yuan era of Emperor Jing of Han (148 BCE), the marquisate was abolished and reverted to a county under Julu Commandery. During Wang Mang’s reign, Songzi County was briefly renamed Yizi, but was later abolished in the Eastern Han. In the second year of Yong’an of the Northern Wei (529 CE), Songzi County was re-established, still under Julu Commandery. It was again abolished in the seventh year of Tianbao of the Northern Qi (556 CE). Emperor Wen of Sui re-established Songzi County in the early Kaihuang era (581 CE), placing it under Zhao Commandery. In the third year of Daye of Emperor Yang of Sui (607 CE), Songzi County was merged into Pingji County.

The ruins of the Songcheng city are located in Songcheng Village, Hancun Town, approximately 18 kilometers northeast of Zhao County in Hebei Province. The ancient city site stretches 700 meters from east to west and 550 meters from north to south, covering an area of 385,000 square meters. The city walls stand 4 meters high, with bases varying between 6 to 10 meters in width, reaching a maximum height of about 4 meters. Scattered across the fields surrounding the site are dozens of large burial mounds. In 1956, it was listed among the first batch of Key Cultural Relics Protection Units in Hebei Province. On May 3, 2013, the State Council announced the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units, and the Songcheng City ruins were included.

The “Songzi Three-Hole Spade Coin,” excavated from the Pingshuo Coal Mine in Shanxi, was cast in the Songzi City of the Zhao Kingdom, one of the Seven Warring States. This type of spade coin features a round head, round shoulders, and round feet, with three round holes at the top and bottom, hence the name “Three-Hole Spade Coin.” It is now housed in the National Museum of China. Given the significance of the “Songzi Three-Hole Spade Coin” in the history of Chinese currency, it is evident that Songzi City was a bustling hub of commerce and trade, serving as an important urban center on the northern frontier of the Zhao Kingdom with considerable strategic importance.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units