The Ancient City of Shuofang Commandery

The Ancient City of Shuofang Commandery

The Ancient City of Shuofang Commandery is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Ancient City of Shuofang Commandery is located in Bayannur City (Linhe) and Dengkou County to the southwest of the city in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. There are several ruins of the ancient city, mainly including the three ancient cities of Linrong County, Yuhun County, and Sanfeng County of the Han Dynasty’s Shuofang Commandery in Dengkou County, as well as the Huangyangmutou and Bayi city sites within Bayannur City.

The ancient city of Linrong is situated in Huguizi Village, Bulongnao Township, about 25 kilometers north of Dengkou. The layout of the ancient city is roughly rectangular. The east and west walls are 637.5 meters and 620 meters long respectively, while both the south and north walls are 450 meters long. The city walls were built of rammed yellow earth, with a base width of about 10 meters and remaining heights of 0.5 to 2 meters. The middle of the south wall has a gate, and the center of the city contains the foundation of a rectangular building. In the northwest part, there are remains of an iron smelting site, scattered with fragments of iron tools, slag, and charcoal. The surface is strewn with rope-patterned bricks and tiles, as well as pottery fragments such as jars, urns, and basins featuring rope, wave, and grid patterns, along with “Wu Zhu” copper coins.

The ancient city of Yuhun County is located in Tuchengzi Village, Shajintao Hai Sumu, about 45 kilometers northwest of Dengkou. It is 250 meters long from east to west and approximately 200 meters wide from north to south. The walls were built of rammed earth, with remaining heights of 0.5 to 1.5 meters and a base width of 9 to 13 meters. The middle of the south wall has a gate that is 20 meters wide, with an outer barbican. To the west outside the city, there are residential and kiln sites. Artifacts collected here include rope-patterned bricks and tiles, gray pottery jars and basins with rope patterns, fragments of bronze crossbow mechanisms, and “Wu Zhu” coins.

The ancient city of Sanfeng County is located 4 kilometers southwest of Taoshengjing Village, Haten Tao Hai Sumu. It consists of two layers of walls: inner and outer. The inner city has a square layout, with each side measuring 118 meters. Only parts of the northeast and southwest walls of the outer city remain, each over 100 meters long. The walls were constructed with rammed earth, with a base width of 6.5 meters and remaining heights of 0.5 to 2 meters. The city is scattered with a large number of pottery shards, bricks, and tiles. Collected artifacts include cloud-patterned roof tiles, drainage pipes, gray pottery basins with rope patterns, plain-surfaced pot shards, as well as iron tips, bronze arrowheads, and “Wu Zhu” coins. A cluster of tombs is distributed to the east of the outer city.

In May 2006, the Ancient City of Shuofang Commandery was designated by the State Council as part of the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units