Yancheng (Changzhou) 淹城遗址

About Yancheng (Changzhou)

The concentric artificial rivers are the clearest surviving evidence of its unusual defensive plan.

Grass and trees now cover much of the archaeological ground, while the wider tourism area includes later reconstructions and entertainment. Begin with the original earth-and-water layout and use interpretation to distinguish the remains from modern themed structures. This is Yancheng in Changzhou’s Wujin district, not the separate Jiangsu city of Yancheng.

The city was built in the late Spring and Autumn period and is currently the best-preserved ancient city site of that period in China. It was listed, in 1988, among the third batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位). According to legend, its name recalls the descendants of a defeated ruler who fled south after a failed rebellion and built the city here, cutting a moat and piling up the excavated soil.

From the inside out, the settlement consists of three nested rings: the inner citadel and its moat (子城, 子城河), a middle city and its moat (内城, 内城河), and an outer city and its moat (外城, 外城河). The site is now rated as an AAAAA tourist attraction, the highest official tourism grade, though much of the original ground is covered in grass with many trees remaining.

What to look for

• Three concentric waterways define the ancient settlement’s enclosure pattern.
• The archaeological ground reveals earthwork and water defences distinct from later themed buildings.

Location & getting there

Getting to Yancheng (Changzhou)

Approach Chunqiu Yancheng in Wujin, southern Changzhou, and select the archaeological-site entrance appropriate to the visit.