Wupai Mountain City Ruins

　　The Wupai Mountain City ruins in Dongning County are located in Wupai Village, Daohe Town, about 15 kilometers from Daohe Town and 65 kilometers from Dongning County. Built before the Sui and Tang dynasties, the mountain city has endured for thousands of years. Though partially damaged, it still holds significant historical value. It was designated as a provincial-level key cultural relics protection site in 1986, and in May 2006, it was approved as a national-level cultural heritage site.

　　Wupai got its name because early loggers could float down five wooden rafts (pái) at once along the Suifen River. Nowadays, only about thirty households live here, and there are no other villages within dozens of miles. Due to the sparse population, the area’s pristine natural scenery and environment have been well preserved. The Suifen River flows around the scenic area, with steep cliffs and peculiar rocks rising on both banks, and ancient trees towering overhead. Notable sites include the Grand Canyon, Eagle Beak Peak, and Turtle Stone. The stretch of water from the ancient city ruins to Xiaodiyi Village, spanning about ten kilometers, is very suitable for developing rafting activities. A forestry road leading to Wupai Village has started construction this year, with plans to pave it with cement. Upstream from Wupai lie the ancient mountain city ruins, which were built among the peaks of the Qing Mountain range, extending along a V-shaped ridge with extremely rugged terrain. The wall sections south of the highest point are mostly built of stone, generally around 3 meters high, while those east of the peak are mainly earth or a mix of earth and stone. In the middle of the northern wall, where the terrain is relatively flat, there is a gate site. Near the northern part of the city, close to the walls, there are many pits believed to be dwelling sites from ancient times. The terrain is roughly V-shaped, and the total length of the city wall is over 1,900 meters. According to the “Archival Record of the Wupai Mountain City, a Cultural Relics Protection Unit of Heilongjiang Province,” the Suifen River basin was inhabited by the Wuzhu people from the pre-Qin period to the Han Dynasty. During the Wei and Jin periods, it came under the control of the Mohe people migrating southward, and in the Sui and Tang periods, it belonged to the Bohai State. Historical records and archaeological findings in the Dongning region suggest that Wupai Mountain City was built by the Wuzhu people to defend against attacks from the Yilou people.