Ruins of the Ancient City of Jinyang

Ruins of the Ancient City of Jinyang

The ruins of the Ancient City of Jinyang are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The ancient city of Jinyang was established in the mid-to-late Spring and Autumn Period (497 BC). Dong Anyu, a retainer of Zhao Jianzi, a powerful minister of the State of Jin, chose an advantageous location backed by Longshan Mountain to the west and fronted by the Fen River to the east, and built the city of Jinyang, described as “four zhang high with a perimeter of four li.” It has a history of over 2,500 years. It once served as the capital of the State of Yue during the Warring States period, a secondary capital during the Northern Qi Dynasty, the capital of the Northern Han Dynasty, and “Northern Capital” of the Tang Dynasty, earning the reputation of the “Dragon City.” Major historical events such as the Partition of Jin among Three Families, border defense in the Western Han Dynasty, the dominance of the Eastern Wei regime, the alternate capital of the Northern Qi, the foundation of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, and the wars of the Five Dynasties are all closely related to the ancient city of Jinyang.

Over the 1,500 years from its construction to its destruction, the ancient city of Jinyang remained a major northern military, political, and economic stronghold in China, as well as a grand stage for ethnic integration. This characteristic was especially prominent during the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties periods. The city featured a grand scale, a well-developed military defense system, and a thriving commercial culture, ranking alongside famous metropolises such as Chang’an, Luoyang, and Kaifeng. In the fourth year of the Taiping Xingguo era of the Song Dynasty (979 AD), the Song Dynasty conquered the Northern Han and set fire to Jinyang, then diverted the Fen River to flood it, reducing the ancient city to flat ground. Although the ancient city of Jinyang no longer exists on the map of China, its over 1,500 years of historical and cultural accumulation have given it a pivotal place in the history of Chinese civilization.

The ruins of the ancient city of Jinyang are located around Jinyuan Town and Guchengying Village in the southwest of Taiyuan City, covering an area of approximately 20 square kilometers. It is a site dating from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Five Dynasties. Jinyuan Town, Guchengying Village, Nanchengjiao Village, and Dongguan Village are situated on the site of the ancient city. The ruins are divided into two parts: the ancient city ruins and the temple, shrine, and tomb ruins. Centered around the ruins of the ancient city of Jinyang, numerous temple structures are distributed along the mountainous terrain, while the gentle slopes at the foot of the Western Hills are widely scattered with tomb ruins, covering a total area of 200 square kilometers.

In 1955, archaeologists discovered more than 30 stone carvings near Guchengying Village, featuring unique designs. In 1962, sections of the ancient city wall and three small city ruins were found in the Jinyang ancient city area. One is the Luocheng ruins near Luocheng Village, said to have been built by the Northern Han Dynasty; another is the discovery of Tang Dynasty relics from the city wall in the northwest of Jinyuan Town; the third is the ancient city ruins in the area of Nanchengjiao Village and Guchengying Village, believed to be the remnants of the Daming City.

The existing “Nanchengjiao” Village is L-shaped, built along the southwest corner of the ancient city. The remaining southern city wall stretches 626.4 meters from east to west, and the western wall is about 2,700 meters long. Based on data and the orientation of the “Dongchengjiao,” the ancient city is estimated to have been about 4,500 meters long. Judging from the texture, color, and ramming technique of the rammed earth, it is considered to be the city wall ruins from the Eastern Zhou period.

According to historical records, the Tang Northern Capital, Taiyuan City, was structurally divided into four levels: The first level was the Tang Northern Capital, comprising the East City, West City, and Central City; the second level included the West City, East City, and Central City. The West City encompassed the Taiyuan Prefecture City and the Jinyang County City, collectively known as Bingzhou City, while the East City included the Jinyang County City; the third level included the Taiyuan Prefecture City, Jinyang County City, and Jinyang County City, with the Taiyuan Prefecture City further consisting of three cities — the Daming City, Xin City, and Cang City; the fourth level included the Daming City, Xin City, and Cang City, which were closely connected as cities within a city, forming the core part of the Tang Northern Capital Taiyuan City. The ruins of the ancient city of Jinyang have relatively intact preserved the original urban construction appearance of the Tang and Five Dynasties periods. This unique phenomenon of buried ruins is very rare among sites of the same period across the country. In the first year of the Jingtai era of the Ming Dynasty (1460 AD), the Taiyuan County City, with a circumference of 3.5 kilometers, was built in the southern gate area of Jinyang. Major parts of the ancient city were not severely damaged, and parts of the city walls remain to this day. Additionally, within Guchengying Village, there are preserved structures such as the Huiming Temple Pagoda, originally built during the Sui and Tang periods and rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty, and the Nine Dragons Temple, established in the Jin Dynasty and reconstructed in the Ming and Qing periods.

The ancient city of Jinyang, with its unique historical status and rich underground relics, holds significant archaeological research value. Over the years, the state, province, city, and various sectors of society have placed great importance and attention on the ruins of the ancient city of Jinyang, organizing professionals to conduct extensive exploration, investigation, and research. On June 25, 2001, the ruins of the ancient city of Jinyang were announced by the State Council as part of the fifth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units. To ensure the long-term effective protection and sustainable, rational utilization of the ruins of the ancient city of Jinyang, the Provincial People's Congress approved and issued the "Taiyuan City Jinyang Ancient City Ruins Protection and Management Regulations" on November 30, 2006. Even more encouragingly, the people of today’s Jinyuan are actively inheriting historical and cultural heritage, exploring the cultural essence of Jinyang, restoring green mountains and clear waters, and striving to build a strong cultural and ecological tourism district. We look forward to the ancient city of Jinyang regaining its former glory in the near future.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units