Ancient Port of Xuwen

　　Introduction According to the Book of Han, the Xuwen Port was the starting point of the maritime “Silk Road.” In recent years, extensive archaeological work has confirmed that present-day Xuwen County in Zhanjiang is the location of the ancient Xuwen Port. The ruins of the Ancient Port of Xuwen are situated in Erqiao, Nanwan, and Shiwei villages in Wuli Township, about five li southwest of Xuwen County. Since the 1960s, a large number of Han Dynasty tombs have been discovered in villages and fields around Dahuang Township’s Huafeng Ridge along the southwestern coast of Xuwen, yielding numerous pottery items, ironware, and beads. In November 1993, experts from the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, through large-scale excavation, uncovered extensive living quarters from the Han Dynasty in Erqiao and Shiwei villages of Wuli Township in Xuwen County. This discovery confirmed that this area was the site of the Han Dynasty Xuwen County seat and the Ancient Port of Xuwen.

　　 Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province