Qiuzhoutai Ruins

Qiuzhoutai Ruins

The Qiuzhoutai Ruins are a cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province.

To the south of Huayuan Village in Gaoyi County, there is a small earthen mound. Legend has it that this was the platform built by Liu Xiu when he ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor here in Gaoyi. It is said that in the late Western Han Dynasty, Wang Mang, an imperial relative, usurped power and took over the throne. In order to consolidate his rule, Wang Mang nearly exterminated all the descendants and relatives of the Han imperial family. Only Liu Xiu managed to escape and went on the run. On multiple occasions when he was about to be captured by Wang Mang’s forces, he miraculously survived and narrowly escaped danger, eventually restoring the Han Dynasty and founding the Eastern Han. Today, many areas in Hebei and Shanxi are steeped in stories about Wang Mang chasing Liu Xiu; Gaoyi County was not only a major battlefield between Liu Xiu and Wang Mang, but also the site where Liu Xiu ascended the throne as emperor. Numerous legends about Wang Mang chasing Liu Xiu are still widely circulated among the locals, and many villages are associated with relics or legacies of the story.

Qiuzhoutai and the Millennium Cypress: It is said that during the late Western Han Dynasty, Liu Xiu was being chased by Wang Mang and barely managed to escape and reach Gaoyi. At that time, the weather was very hot, and Liu Xiu wanted to sit and rest, but there were no large trees nearby—only one cypress tree. Liu Xiu sat down and leaned against the cypress, falling asleep. When he woke up, he said, “The cypress is truly great—it should stay green all year round and never age.” Later on, the cypress indeed remained evergreen and unbothered by wind or cold. However, “never aging” came to mean “never growing taller.” After waking up, Liu Xiu thought to himself, “I’ve been fleeing from Wang Mang for so many days without any peace, but today I’m comfortable and can finally rest well. This place must be auspicious—I’ll ascend the throne here.” So, he ordered his troops to build this “Qiuzhoutai” and officially declared himself emperor.

Protected Area: A boundary line is drawn at the edge of the Qiuzhoutai stele foundation, extending 20 meters outward in all directions.

Construction Control Zone: Using the outer edge of the protected area as the baseline, it extends 50 meters westward and 100 meters eastward, southward, and northward.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Hebei Province