Yingpan Mountain and Jiangweicheng Ruins

Yingpan Mountain and Jiangweicheng Ruins

The Yingpan Mountain and Jiangweicheng Ruins are classified as Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

The Yingpan Mountain site is a cultural relic site dating from the Neolithic Age to the Ming and Qing dynasties. As it is the largest in area, the most archaeologically extensive, and the richest in discovered remains among local cultural-type sites found in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River to date, it has been named "Yingpan Mountain Culture."

Artifacts unearthed at the Yingpan Mountain site include the earliest known pottery sculptural artworks in Sichuan, the earliest evidence of cinnabar use by humans in China, and the earliest and largest pottery kiln site discovered in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. These findings serve as a bridge for understanding ancient cultural dissemination, ethnic formation, migration, integration, and connections with the Chengdu Plain and the Sanxingdui site.

The Yingpan Mountain site has been praised by experts as the "golden key" to studying ancient Shu culture. It holds significant scientific value for exploring the relationship between ancient Shu culture and the Majiayao and Yangshao cultures. It was designated as part of the fifth batch of Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Units and is recognized as one of China’s major archaeological discoveries of the 21st century.

In December 2002, the Yingpan Mountain site was included in the fifth batch of Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by Sichuan Province; in 2003, it was first listed in the national-level major archaeological research project for key ruins.

The upper reaches of the Minjiang River, where the Yingpan Mountain site is located, lie within China’s southwestern Hengduan Mountains. This region is not only world-renowned for its unique landscape of alternating high mountains and deep valleys but also serves as a vital cultural and ethnic corridor connecting the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. In ethnology, it is referred to as the Tibetan-Yi Corridor or the Di-Qiang Corridor. The upper Minjiang River is one of the core areas of this corridor, and Mao County—China’s largest settlement area of the Qiang people—is at the heart of this core zone.

The valley where the Yingpan Mountain site is located, in Fengyi Town, the county seat of Mao County, is the largest alluvial fan plain in the upper Minjiang River region and also its geographical center. With fertile soil, abundant water resources, and a pleasant climate, it has long been an ideal place for human settlement. Successive administrative centers of Mao County since its establishment have been located here, and during the Han Dynasty, the seat of the Wenshan Commandery was also temporarily situated here. Today, Mao County remains an economic hub of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture and serves as the cultural, political, and geographical center of the upper Minjiang River region. Since 2000, archaeological surveys have identified more than ten Neolithic sites and artifact collection points in the area, including Yingpan Mountain, Bosi, Jinguibao, Boshi Terrace, Shangnanzhuang, Leshi, Shawudu, and Malianping. Among these, the Yingpan Mountain site is the largest in area and the richest in discovered remains.

The Yingpan Mountain site is situated on a third-level terrace on the southeastern bank of the Minjiang River, roughly trapezoidal in shape, with a width of 120–200 meters from east to west and a length of about 1,000 meters from north to south, covering a total area of nearly 150,000 square meters. The site faces a deep valley, Yangwugou, to the east and is surrounded by the Minjiang River to the northeast, north, and west. It is approximately 2.5 kilometers from downtown Mao County and lies at an elevation of 1,650–1,710 meters, about 160 meters above the Minjiang River valley, with a gently sloping terrain. The Yingpan Mountain site is flanked by steep slopes on the east, west, and north, backed by Jiuding Mountain, and close to the Minjiang River channel—making it easily defensible and an exceptionally prime location in the upper Minjiang River area, ideal for long-term human habitation.

The area where the Yingpan Mountain site is located belongs to the foothill ridge of Jiuding Mountain, but the surface of the site itself is relatively flat with little undulation, making it distinctly different from the surrounding ridge-like terrain at the same elevation.

Protected Area: Extends 30 meters southward from the site boundary to the Maoyuan County Horticultural Farm of the Chengdu Military Region Joint Logistics Department, 50 meters eastward to Yangwugou, and 50 meters westward and northward to the base of the terrace.

Construction Control Zone: Extends 30 meters beyond the protected area.

Jiangweicheng is located on the mountainside of Yulei Mountain in Nangou, Weizhou, the county seat of Wenchuan, along the Minjiang River. It is named after Jiang Wei, a general of the Shu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period, who stationed troops and built a fortress here. Only the western and southern remnants of the castle walls remain, measuring 88 meters in length in an L-shape, with nearby ruins of a general’s platform.

On May 25, 2006, the People's Republic of China announced the sixth batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

1. Yingpan Mountain Site (Mao County)

Protected Area: Extends 30 meters southward from the site boundary to the Maoyuan County Horticultural Farm of the Chengdu Military Region Joint Logistics Department, 50 meters eastward to Yangwugou, and 50 meters westward and northward to the base of the terrace.

Construction Control Zone: Extends 30 meters beyond the protected area.

2. Jiangweicheng Site (Wenchuan County)

Protected Area: East to Nangou, north to the wall of Weizhou Normal School, west to the road of the Dermatology Hospital residential area, and south to the mountain ridge behind the general’s platform. (This includes the entire Jiangweicheng ancient cultural site and the area within 60 meters on both sides of the Ming Great Wall behind the affiliated elementary school of Weizhou Normal School.)

Construction Control Zone: Extends 50 meters beyond the protected area.

Shibi Town: Surrounded by lush green hills and a beautiful river, Shibi Town is located southeast of Anyi County, 60 kilometers from Nanchang City, 45 kilometers from Changbei Airport, 40 kilometers from Xin Qi Zhou Railway Station, and 115 kilometers from Jiujiang Port. It connects to National Highway 105 to the north and National Highway 320 to the south, with Provincial Road Wanchi running through the town. It is encircled by hills to the southeast and west, while the Nanliao River flows southwestward to the northwest. The town covers a total area of 99.8 square kilometers, including 38,000 mu of arable land, with a population of 42,000. It administers 16 administrative villages and one neighborhood committee, bordering seven towns across four counties (districts) including Xinjian, Fengxin, and Wanli. It is an An... (Detailed information on Shibi Town++)

Further Reading:

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