Yueyang ( zh, s=栎阳, t=櫟陽) was a capital of the
Qin state
Qin (, , or ''Ch'in'') was an ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty. It is traditionally dated to 897 BC. The state of Qin originated from a reconquest of western lands that had previously been lost to the Xirong. Its location at ...
in 4th century BC, during the
Warring States era of China. It is now known as Yueyang City Ruins ( zh, s=栎阳城遗址, t=櫟陽城遺址) and located in
Yanliang District
Yanliang District () is one of nine districts of Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province, China. The northernmost and least-populous of Xi'an's county-level divisions, it borders the prefecture-level cities of Xianyang to the west and Weinan to the ...
,
Xi'an
Xi'an is the list of capitals in China, capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populou ...
,
Shaanxi
Shaanxi is a Provinces of China, province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to t ...
province.
History
Yueyang was the capital of Qin during
Duke Xian and
Duke Xiao's rule. During this period,
Shang Yang
Shang Yang (; c. 390 – 338 BC), also known as Wei Yang () and originally surnamed Gongsun, was a Politician, statesman, chancellor and reformer of the Qin (state), State of Qin. Arguably the "most famous and most influential statesman of the ...
's reforms transformed Qin into a prominent power in ancient China.
During the
Chu–Han contention
The Chu–Han Contention (), also known as the Chu–Han War (), was an interregnum in Imperial China between the fall of the Qin dynasty and the establishment of the Han dynasty. After the Qin dynasty was overthrown in 206 BCE, the empir ...
period of late 3rd century BC, Yueyang served as the capital of
Sima Xin
Sima Xin (died 204 BC) was a Chinese military general of the Qin dynasty. Between 209 and 208 BC, when uprisings against the Qin dynasty broke out, Sima Xin, along with Zhang Han and Dong Yi, led Qin forces into battle against the various reb ...
, King of Sai. The city was also briefly the seat of power of
Liu Bang
Emperor Gaozu of Han (2561 June 195 BC), also known by his given name Liu Bang, was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning from 202 to 195 BC. He is considered by traditional Chinese historiography to be one o ...
, the future Emperor Gaozu of Han.
Site
Archaeologists have located the ruins of Yueyang in
Yanliang District
Yanliang District () is one of nine districts of Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province, China. The northernmost and least-populous of Xi'an's county-level divisions, it borders the prefecture-level cities of Xianyang to the west and Weinan to the ...
,
Xi'an
Xi'an is the list of capitals in China, capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populou ...
,
Shaanxi
Shaanxi is a Provinces of China, province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to t ...
province. The Warring States era city was identified in 2016. A 440m long section of the north city wall was discovered. There were also a square encircled by rammed earth walls measuring 100m long on each side, and several major buildings, which were believed to be palaces.
Two walled cities dating back to the Qin–Han period (after 221 BC) was discovered in 1980 and 2013, respectively. The second city was 3100m long from east to west and 3800m from south to north. Archeological evidence indicated that the city had been abandoned by the
Xin dynasty
The Xin dynasty (; ), also known as Xin Mang () in Chinese historiography, was a short-lived Dynasties in Chinese history, Chinese imperial dynasty which lasted from 9 to 23 AD, established by the Han dynasty consort kin Wang Mang, who usurped th ...
(9 – 23 AD).
References
{{reflist
Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Shaanxi
Ancient Chinese capitals
Qin (state)
Yanliang District