Ruins of the Ancient Xuan Ning City

Ruins of the Ancient Xuan Ning City

Ruins of the Ancient Xuan Ning City (Fifth Batch of Provincial-level Protected Sites)

Yungang Grottoes

Yungang Grottoes

Era: Liao and Jin Dynasties

Location: Area south of the northern wall of Buzi Village, Buziwan Township, Xinrong District, Datong City

The site is located in the area south of the northern wall of Buzi Fortress, with the fortress’s northern wall serving as the site’s northern boundary, extending eastward, westward, and southward. The overall layout is roughly rectangular, approximately 1 km from east to west and about 2.4 km from north to south, covering an area of over 2.4 million square meters.

Xuan Ning County was the name used during the Jin Dynasty. The Xuan De County was initially established during the Liao Dynasty and renamed Xuan Ning County in the eighth year of the Dading era (1168) of the Jin Dynasty. This ancient city was built in a low-lying area on a mountainside, with the Zizi River running east-west as the lowest point within the city, spanning both banks of the river from north to south. Within the site, pottery, porcelain, bricks, and tile fragments are scattered everywhere. The remaining city walls are tall and were built using rammed earth. Observations from some looted pits reveal that the cultural layer within the city is as thick as two meters. Artifacts collected from the surface include: a gray pottery cup saucer fragment, a glazed chicken-leg bottle base, a white-glazed bowl base fragment, a plain carved jar fragment, a crucible fragment, a glazed bowl with sand-ring stacked firing remnants, and a white-glazed bowl with supporting pin firing remnants. The former name of the Xuan Ning Ancient City ruins was the Ancient City of Xuan Ning County. It was designated as a municipal-level cultural heritage protection unit by the Revolutionary Committee of Datong City, Shanxi Province, on February 24, 1981.

The site is located at the northern edge of Xinrong District, Datong City. A few hundred meters north of the village is the border between Inner Mongolia and Shanxi Province. The village is approximately 8.5 km southwest of Mituo Mountain, and the Zizi River runs east-west to the south of the village. The city site is bordered by the village to the north and a small hill to the south, with open and flat terrain extending east and west. The Zizi River runs east-west through the ancient city, and the overall land within the ancient city site is relatively flat. Juzhang Fortress is an important pass fortress along the Great Wall. It was built in the 24th year of the Jiajing era (1545) of the Ming Dynasty and bricked in the 2nd year of the Wanli era (1574). A few hundred meters north of Juzhang Fortress Village is the eastern section of the outer Great Wall (locally referred to as the “First Border” or “Great Border”), which runs east-west. Approximately 1.5 km east of the village is the Daguang Expressway, which runs north-south. Inside the village, there is a small rural road that leads west to Yangzhou Kiln and east to Machang.

The existing remains of the city site include the northern wall, with a cultural layer about 2 meters deep and abundant surface artifacts. Collected items include pottery cup saucers, glazed porcelain bottle bases, white-glazed bowl bases, carved ceramic jar fragments, and crucible remnants. This site is the ancient city of Xuan De from the Liao Dynasty and Xuan Ning County from the Jin Dynasty. It was a significant hub for Han-Mongol border trade at the time and serves as physical evidence of inland merchants’ activities in border commerce. It provides insight into the urban layout during the Liao and Jin periods.

In 2016, the Ruins of the Ancient Xuan Ning City were included in the Fifth Batch of Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Shanxi Province.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Shanxi Province