Wuchuan County
Encyclopedia
Wuchuan is the county surrounding Hohhot City
, capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
, in the People's Republic of China. Wuchuan has an area of 4,885 square km with a population of 171,000. It is connected to Hohhot by the Huwu Highway; roughly a half-hour's drive. Zhaohe Grasslands, a popular tourist site, is nearby.
" (周书), dating from 398 AD, and the "History of the North" (北史). Human activity can be traced back as far as 10,000 years.
The archaeological site at Daqingshan (大青山) village includes many artefacts from the Dayao Culture (大窑文化) and proves that the area was suitable for human habitation at that time. Another Paleolithic
site at Erdaowa (二道洼) Village has an estimated age of 10,000 years. Many stone tools were found there, including knives, cutters and axes, indicating that the occupants of the area were hunter-gatherers.
A more recent site from 5000 BC was found at Jinergou (井儿沟). Better stone tools and pottery were unearthed. The tools were of types used for building, harvesting and making clothes, proving that agriculture was already well established at that time.
In the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period (五帝时期) ,about 2800BC, many tribes settled at Wuchuan. These included the Yunzhou (荤粥), Shefang (舌方), Tufang (土方) and Guifang (鬼方). The Yellow Emperor
's war against Yunzhou was recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian
by Sima Qian
. During the Shang
and Zhou
Dynasties, King Wu of Zhou
(武王) fought against the Guifang tribe many times, finally winning the battle after 3 years; an event which is recorded in the I Ching
.
Around 302BC, Wuchuan belonged to the State of Zhao
(赵国), one of the Warring Sates
.The king of Zhao defeated Hulinloufan and built a wall near Daqing Mountain
to stop the advance of the northern tribes. This event was recorded in the "Water Jingzhu" (水经注). The wall is now called the South Daqing Mountain Great Wall. Wuchuan also plays a role in the history of the Qin Dynasty and the Han Dynasty, especially the Battle of Changping
(长平之战) of Zhao Kuo (赵括). During this time, Wuchuan was controlled by the Xiongnu
, a nomadic people famous for their bronzes and animal carvings. A Xiongnu
dagger together with some knife-shaped coins from the State of Yan
were unearthed at Tuchenzi Village, indicating that cultural exchanges between the Xiongnu
and the Han Chinese were very extensive at that time. A total of more than 20 ancient tombs of the Qin
and Han
period have also been discovered in Wuchuan.
Later, Wuchuan was one of the capitals of the Southern and Northern Dynasties
. A tomb was found at Tuchenliang village, containing ancient coins, weapons, and many other bronze and iron artefacts. A Roman gold seal was unearthed at Touhao village and some Persian silver coins from the Sassanid Dynasty
were discovered at Baidao Cheng village. This indicates that during the period of the Northern Wei, Sui
and Tang
dynasties, a northern silk road existed, stretching from Xi'an
to Datong
to Huhhot and crossing Daqing Mountain
to Wuchuan, eventuually reaching the Middle East and finally Rome.
In 916, Wuchuan belonged to the state of Qidan(契丹). Archeological sites have also been found from the Yuan
, Liao and Jin states. Some Song Dynasty
coins were also unearthed. In addition, eight ancient tombs and seven ruins of towns from that period were discovered around the area of Dongtucheng along the river Qiangpan.
Hohhot
Hohhot , is a city in north-central China and the capital of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, serving as the region's administrative, economic, and cultural centre....
, capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
, in the People's Republic of China. Wuchuan has an area of 4,885 square km with a population of 171,000. It is connected to Hohhot by the Huwu Highway; roughly a half-hour's drive. Zhaohe Grasslands, a popular tourist site, is nearby.
Ancient History
According to the earliest records, the name Wuchuan comes from the "Book of ZhouBook of Zhou
The Book of Zhou was the official history of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou, and it ranks among the official Twenty-Four Histories of imperial China. It was compiled by the Tang Dynasty historian Linghu Defen and was completed in 636...
" (周书), dating from 398 AD, and the "History of the North" (北史). Human activity can be traced back as far as 10,000 years.
The archaeological site at Daqingshan (大青山) village includes many artefacts from the Dayao Culture (大窑文化) and proves that the area was suitable for human habitation at that time. Another Paleolithic
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
site at Erdaowa (二道洼) Village has an estimated age of 10,000 years. Many stone tools were found there, including knives, cutters and axes, indicating that the occupants of the area were hunter-gatherers.
A more recent site from 5000 BC was found at Jinergou (井儿沟). Better stone tools and pottery were unearthed. The tools were of types used for building, harvesting and making clothes, proving that agriculture was already well established at that time.
In the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period (五帝时期) ,about 2800BC, many tribes settled at Wuchuan. These included the Yunzhou (荤粥), Shefang (舌方), Tufang (土方) and Guifang (鬼方). The Yellow Emperor
Yellow Emperor
The Yellow Emperor or Huangdi1 is a legendary Chinese sovereign and culture hero, included among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Tradition holds that he reigned from 2697–2597 or 2696–2598 BC...
's war against Yunzhou was recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian
Records of the Grand Historian
The Records of the Grand Historian, also known in English by the Chinese name Shiji , written from 109 BC to 91 BC, was the Magnum opus of Sima Qian, in which he recounted Chinese history from the time of the Yellow Emperor until his own time...
by Sima Qian
Sima Qian
Sima Qian was a Prefect of the Grand Scribes of the Han Dynasty. He is regarded as the father of Chinese historiography for his highly praised work, Records of the Grand Historian , a "Jizhuanti"-style general history of China, covering more than two thousand years from the Yellow Emperor to...
. During the Shang
Shang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty was, according to traditional sources, the second Chinese dynasty, after the Xia. They ruled in the northeastern regions of the area known as "China proper" in the Yellow River valley...
and Zhou
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
Dynasties, King Wu of Zhou
King Wu of Zhou
King Wu of Zhōu or King Wu of Chou was the first sovereign, or ruler of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. The dates of his reign are 1046-1043 BCE or 1049/45-1043. Various sources quoted that he died at the age of 93, 54 or 43. He was considered a just and able leader. Zhou Gong Dan was one of his...
(武王) fought against the Guifang tribe many times, finally winning the battle after 3 years; an event which is recorded in the I Ching
I Ching
The I Ching or "Yì Jīng" , also known as the Classic of Changes, Book of Changes and Zhouyi, is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts...
.
Around 302BC, Wuchuan belonged to the State of Zhao
Zhao (state)
Zhao was a significant Chinese state during the Warring States Period, along with six others...
(赵国), one of the Warring Sates
Warring States Period
The Warring States Period , also known as the Era of Warring States, or the Warring Kingdoms period, covers the Iron Age period from about 475 BC to the reunification of China under the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC...
.The king of Zhao defeated Hulinloufan and built a wall near Daqing Mountain
Yin Mountains
The Yin Mountains are mountains in the steppe forming the southern border of the eastern Gobi Desert of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as well as the northern part of Hebei province....
to stop the advance of the northern tribes. This event was recorded in the "Water Jingzhu" (水经注). The wall is now called the South Daqing Mountain Great Wall. Wuchuan also plays a role in the history of the Qin Dynasty and the Han Dynasty, especially the Battle of Changping
Battle of Changping
The Battle of Changping was a military campaign that took place during the Warring States Period in China. It concluded in 260 BC with a decisive victory by the State of Qin over the State of Zhao, and ultimately allowed Qin to conquer and unify China decades later...
(长平之战) of Zhao Kuo (赵括). During this time, Wuchuan was controlled by the Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
, a nomadic people famous for their bronzes and animal carvings. A Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
dagger together with some knife-shaped coins from the State of Yan
Yan (state)
Yān was a state during the Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods of Chinese history. Its capital was Ji...
were unearthed at Tuchenzi Village, indicating that cultural exchanges between the Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
and the Han Chinese were very extensive at that time. A total of more than 20 ancient tombs of the Qin
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
and Han
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
period have also been discovered in Wuchuan.
Later, Wuchuan was one of the capitals of the Southern and Northern Dynasties
Southern and Northern Dynasties
The Southern and Northern Dynasties was a period in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589 AD. Though an age of civil war and political chaos, it was also a time of flourishing arts and culture, advancement in technology, and the spreading of Mahayana Buddhism and Daoism...
. A tomb was found at Tuchenliang village, containing ancient coins, weapons, and many other bronze and iron artefacts. A Roman gold seal was unearthed at Touhao village and some Persian silver coins from the Sassanid Dynasty
Sassanid Empire
The Sassanid Empire , known to its inhabitants as Ērānshahr and Ērān in Middle Persian and resulting in the New Persian terms Iranshahr and Iran , was the last pre-Islamic Persian Empire, ruled by the Sasanian Dynasty from 224 to 651...
were discovered at Baidao Cheng village. This indicates that during the period of the Northern Wei, Sui
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
and Tang
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
dynasties, a northern silk road existed, stretching from Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
to Datong
Datong
Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province of North China, located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of...
to Huhhot and crossing Daqing Mountain
Yin Mountains
The Yin Mountains are mountains in the steppe forming the southern border of the eastern Gobi Desert of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as well as the northern part of Hebei province....
to Wuchuan, eventuually reaching the Middle East and finally Rome.
In 916, Wuchuan belonged to the state of Qidan(契丹). Archeological sites have also been found from the Yuan
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
, Liao and Jin states. Some Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
coins were also unearthed. In addition, eight ancient tombs and seven ruins of towns from that period were discovered around the area of Dongtucheng along the river Qiangpan.