The Bicun Site

The Bicun Site

The Bicun Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Bicun Site

Era: Neolithic Age

Address: Bicun, Baiyagou Village, and other areas along the Wei Fen River and the Yellow River in Xing County, Lüliang City

Xing County is situated in the core area of the Shanxi-Shaanxi Plateau, featuring rolling ridges, numerous ravines, exposed bedrock, and interlacing valleys, forming a classic mountainous terrain. During the Longshan Period, there was a significant trend of building fortified settlements here, resulting in dozens of stone-walled sites of varying sizes. These stone cities were mainly distributed across open areas along the Wei Fen River and the Yellow River, with a few located deep in the mountains. Their areas ranged from 20,000 square meters to 1.2 million square meters and can be broadly divided into two clusters: the upstream stone city cluster centered around Baiyagou on the Wei Fen River, and the downstream stone city cluster centered around Bicun.

The Baiyagou Site is located on the second terrace on the north bank of the upper Wei Fen River, north of Baiyagou Village, EhuTan Town, Xing County, Lüliang City. It dates back to the Longshan Period, covering a total area of approximately 1.2 million square meters. This stone city was fortified on the east, west, and north sides, while the south side was bordered by the river. The city walls are relatively well-preserved, and multiple residential areas and burial grounds have been discovered within the city. Floor paintings are commonly found in the house foundations, featuring rich and diverse designs.

The Bicun Site is located north of Bicun Village, Gaojiacun Town, Xing County, at the confluence of the Wei Fen River and the Yellow River. The site includes four terraces: Chengqianggeduo, Dianleliang, Xiaoyuliang, and Zhaomaoliang. Its distribution spans from the west to the Yellow River, the south to the Wei Fen River, the north to Mao’ergou, and an eastern belt of stone fortifications, forming a relatively enclosed geographic unit. The current site covers an area of about 750,000 square meters.

The Baiyagou Stone City is currently the second-largest stone-walled settlement discovered from China’s Neolithic Age and another major prehistoric site found in our province after Taosi and Zhoujiazhuang. It is also the site where the most concentrated and abundant floor paintings have been discovered inside residential structures during China’s prehistoric period. The Bicun Stone City represents the largest stone-built residential structure dating back to the Longshan Period in North China.

In October 2019, the Bicun Site was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Bicun Village: Bicun Village... More detailed information about Bicun Village ++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units