Liaosongshan Prefecture City

Liaosongshan Prefecture City

Liaosongshan Prefecture City is located in Chengzi Village, Chengzi Township, 30 kilometers west of the Chifeng suburban administrative center, built on the northern bank of the upper reaches of the Banzhijian River. The city ruins consist of eastern and western sections, with a layout shaped like a “”. The two sections are of equal size, each side of the wall measuring 500 meters, making the total perimeter six Chinese li. The remaining walls are 15 meters wide and 3–5 meters high, built with rammed earth. At the southwestern, northwestern, and southeastern corners of the city site, the remains of corner towers with diameters of about 15 meters are preserved, and the layout of structures within the city is relatively distinct. The main palace structure of the western city is situated in the center, with a square platform base about 1 meter high and 150 meters on each side. The platform is rich in architectural remnants. Numerous small earthen platforms around the main structure were likely auxiliary buildings. In the southeastern corner of the western city, there is also a large elevated platform base, 30 meters wide from north to south and 60 meters long from east to west.

About 300 meters north of the outer western city, there are four manually built circular earthen forts, likely serving as watchtowers. On the hill at the northwest corner, there are the remains of a tower foundation, square in shape with sides 8 meters long. Directly north of the tower base is a circular earthen platform, which is likely the remnant of a building in front of the tower. In the southwestern corner outside the city, there is also a rectangular temple foundation, 60 meters long from east to west and 15 meters wide from north to south, facing the pagoda base on the northern hill.

In recent years, a considerable number of cultural relics have been discovered and unearthed within the Songshan Prefecture city site. Building materials include bricks, tiles, tile ends, roof ridges, and tubular tiles with yellow and green glazes. There is also a rich collection of porcelain, with hundreds of pieces excavated, primarily Liao white porcelain, as well as yellow-glazed, green-glazed, Jun kiln, and iron-rust flower-patterned porcelain. Ironware mainly consists of production tools and household items such as iron pots, plows, and plowshares. Smelting remains have also been found in the western city. Multiple coin hoards have been discovered in the city, predominantly featuring Song dynasty coins, with very few Yuan dynasty coins. Additionally, bronze mirrors and small copper seals have been found.

Songshan Prefecture was one of the important prefectural cities in the central capital region of the Liao Dynasty and a hub for merchants. Its name originates from the Pingdi Songlin (Flatland Pine Forest) of the Tang Dynasty. The location offered convenient transportation, serving as a key route from the Central Plains to the northern deserts, holding significant importance in ancient transportation history.