Xice Tian Site

Xice Tian Site

The Xice Tian Site is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Shanxi Province.

Xice Tian Site (Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites)

Era: Northern Wei Dynasty

Address: Approximately 2,500 meters northwest of Xice Tian Village, Xubao Township, Yunzhou District, Datong City

The Xice Tian Site is situated in the eastern part of Datong County, in the central-southern area of Xubao Township, on the southern bank of the Cetian Reservoir along the Sanggan River section. Ten thousand meters directly south of the site lies the Liuling Mountain Range, while just a hundred meters directly north is the Cetian Reservoir in Datong County. The site is located on a slightly elevated, gently sloping flatland, with vegetation being the main feature of the landscape within and around the site.

Locally referred to as the "Famen Temple" site, it measures approximately 287 meters from east to west and 229 meters from north to south, covering a total area of about 65,000 square meters. It is believed to have been a comprehensive Northern Wei site primarily focused on brick and tile production, along with a large complex of buildings. The field ridges within the site are largely composed of broken tiles and bricks, with accumulations in some areas forming small mounds—likely the result of years of selective farming. Two cultural layers were found in the cliff face, each about 10 meters long and 0.7 meters thick, consisting of brick, tile, pottery shard, and charcoal ash remnants. Artifacts collected from the ground and the bottom of gullies in the cliff include: three types of different styled beast-face patterned grey pottery half eaves tiles; grey pottery round eaves tiles containing characters such as “代” (Dai), “岁” (Sui), and “万” (Wan) (likely remnants of the Northern Wei “Great Dai Eternal” eaves tiles); three types of tube tiles in varying sizes and styles; brick and flat tile shards; two sizes of large grey pottery jar shards; and several baked, fused, twisted, and warped flat tiles. In 2011, it was designated as a municipal-level cultural heritage site by the Datong Municipal People’s Government.

This site was first discovered by Japanese scholars during the Japanese invasion of China. Based on analysis of surface-collected samples from the site, the Xice Tian Site may have been a Northern Wei-era kiln specifically dedicated to producing royal architectural materials, likely under official operation. It holds significant research value for studying architectural components and their firing techniques during the Northern Wei period. In recent years, it has drawn attention from numerous scholars in China and Japan, with multiple survey reports and academic papers published in both domestic and international archaeological journals.

Multiple cultural layers have been identified within the site, which is rich in artifacts. Collected items include beast-face patterned half eaves tiles, remnants of eaves tiles inscribed with “大代万岁” (Great Dai Eternal), “万岁富贵” (Eternal Prosperity), tube tiles, bricks, and flat tiles. The site is believed to have been a Northern Wei-era kiln dedicated to producing royal architectural materials, likely under official operation, making it highly valuable for the study of architectural art and ceramic craftsmanship during the Pingcheng period of the Northern Wei.

In 2016, the Xice Tian Site was included in the Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Protected Sites in Shanxi Province.

Source: Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Xice Tian Village: Xice Tian Village…… More detailed information about Xice Tian Village++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Protected Sites