Site of the Battle of Baideng

Site of the Battle of Baideng

The Site of the Battle of Baideng is a cultural tourism attraction.

Site of the Battle of Baideng

A battlefield site from the Western Han Dynasty. It is located on Mapu Mountain, northwest of Sanfufen and Sanchangjian villages in Zhoushihuang Town, Yunzhou District. Mapu Mountain was anciently known as Baideng Mountain, and at its northern peak once stood the Baideng Platform, at an elevation of 1,300 meters. The then Pingcheng was situated around present-day Donggucheng Village in Datong City. The *History of Liao* erroneously identified Baideng Village in Yanggao County as the Baideng of the Han Dynasty, and the *History of Jin* repeated this mistake. In fact, when the Northern Wei Dynasty established its capital at Pingcheng (present-day Datong), it extensively developed the Imperial Hunting Park, which extended east to include Baideng—indicating that Baideng was still in the Pingcheng area at that time. Later, due to restrictions banning residency within the park, the residents of Baideng relocated to what is now Baideng Village in Yanggao County. Therefore, the current Baideng Village in Yanggao is the Baideng of the post-Northern Wei period, not the Baideng of the Han Dynasty.

In the early Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu chieftain Modu frequently raided the northern commanderies of the Han. In the seventh year of Emperor Gaozu’s reign (200 BCE), the King of Han, Han Xin, conspired with Modu and rebelled from Mayi. Emperor Gaozu led 320,000 troops northward in a campaign that advanced to Pingcheng. The Xiongnu deployed 400,000 elite cavalry and trapped the Han army on Baideng Mountain for seven days and nights. After fierce fighting, the Han forces managed to break out. Following the battle, Emperor Gaozu adopted the suggestion of Lou Jing and pursued a policy of marriage alliance with the Xiongnu. In 1993, the Datong Municipal People’s Government built a new “Han-style” memorial pavilion here, with the inscription “Site of the Han Battle of Baideng” on the front and historical texts inscribed on the back. The surrounding area is planted with lush, upright pine trees.

Address: Zhoushihuang Town, Yunzhou District, Datong City, Shanxi Province