Jianchang Ancient City

　　Jianchang Ancient City is home to over 2,400 cultural relics, with ancient sites, tombs, stone carvings, rock paintings, and historic architecture found all over the city. The ancient sites in Xichang mainly fall into four categories: settlement sites, city wall ruins, kiln sites, and mining and metallurgy sites. These date back to the Neolithic Age, Shang Dynasty, Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Qin and Han dynasties, the Jin dynasties, Tang and Song dynasties, as well as the Ming and Qing dynasties. Among them, there are 17 Neolithic sites, 2 Shang Dynasty sites, 3 Han Dynasty sites, 11 ancient city wall sites, 2 kiln sites, and 2 mining and metallurgy sites. Jianchang Ancient City is a microcosm of the 500-year history of the multi-ethnic peoples of Xichang. Over these five centuries, all major historical events have left their traces on the ancient city.

　　The discovery of bricks inscribed with the reign title “Datong” (Great Prosperity) in the ancient city confirms that after the late Ming peasant uprising leader Zhang Xianzhong established the “Dashun” regime in Chengdu in 1644, his general Liu Wenxiu (the Pacification General of the South) indeed raised the “Datong” banner in Xichang and occupied the city for several months, carrying out anti-Qing resistance. He also oversaw the renovation of Jianchang Ancient City. This event gives the ancient city special historical significance. The “Datong” bricks are the first of their kind discovered in Sichuan.

　　Stone inscriptions recording the passage of Shi Dakai, the Wing King of the Taiping Rebellion, through the area have been found within the city. These hold significant value for the study of the Taiping Rebellion. For five hundred years, Jianchang Ancient City has attracted numerous scholars and literati. Literary figures from the Ming Dynasty such as Yang Shen, calligraphers from the Qing Dynasty like He Shaoji, poet-officials such as Zha Jian Tang, as well as modern educators like Huang Yanpei, have all left their writings here. Additionally, about 2 kilometers east of Jianchang Ancient City on Jiangpo Hill, there still remains what locals call the “Yuelu Ancient Fortress.” On-site assessment confirms this fortress dates back to the late Yuan and early Ming periods. Military facilities and artifacts from wartime, such as stone cannons, can still be found on the site.