Juancheng County 鄄城县

History

In the Spring and Autumn period this was Juan (鄄邑), a town of the state of Wey (卫国). A county was first set up here early in the Western Han, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs has named Juancheng a "thousand-year-old county" (千年古县). In the Three Kingdoms period it was the seat of Yan Province (兖州), and Cao Zhi (曹植), a son of Cao Cao (曹操), held it as Marquis of Juancheng. From the Sui dynasty on it belonged to Puzhou (濮州).

Sun Bin came from E-Juan (阿鄄) in the state of Qi, identified in a Haibao News (海报新闻) report as present-day Juancheng. A descendant of Sun Wu (孙武), he wrote Sun Bin's Art of War (孙膑兵法). National forums organised by the county placed his birthplace at Sunlaojia village (孙老家村) in Hongchuan town (红船镇).

What to see

Sun Bin Tourist City (孙膑旅游城) lies at Sunlaojia in the northeast of the county town. Its 65 hectares hold a Buddhist culture area, Sun Bin memorial buildings and a landscaped garden area. Together with Yicheng Temple (亿城寺) it forms a scenic area built with funds raised by people from Taiwan. The county also keeps a Sun Bin memorial hall and a Sun clan ancestral hall.

Other historic sites in the county include the Mausoleum of Emperor Yao (尧帝陵), the site where Shun is said to have ploughed at Mount Li (舜耕历山遗址), Leize Lake (雷泽湖), Sun Bin's tomb, the Reading Terrace of Prince Chen (陈王读书台) and the memorial archway of Censor Su (苏御史牌坊).

Crafts and local products

Lu brocade weaving (鲁锦织造技艺) from Juancheng entered the national intangible heritage list in 2008. Lu brocade is a cotton cloth woven from coloured warp and weft threads into bright geometric patterns; locally it is simply called "homespun cloth" (土布). Juancheng's weaving dates from about the Yuan dynasty, cloth from Qing-era Puzhou was sent to the court as tribute, and in the past brocade was mostly woven as dowry cloth.

Juancheng brick sculpture (鄄城砖塑), listed nationally in the same year, was created by Xie Guangfang (谢光芳) in the Guangxu reign of the Qing and has passed through three generations of the Xie family. It makes decorative parts for temples and family shrines, mostly scenes from opera stories, with flowers and birds as the second type.

Getting oriented

The county seat is in Chenwang Subdistrict (陈王街道). Mudan District (牡丹区) lies to the south and Yuncheng County (郓城县) to the east. Juancheng sits where the Yellow River enters Shandong, and National Highway 240 crosses the county.

Highlights

• Sun Bin Tourist City 孙膑旅游城: 65-hectare site at Sunlaojia with Buddhist, memorial and garden areas.
• Sunlaojia village 孙老家村: Village in Hongchuan town fixed as Sun Bin's birthplace by national forums.
• Lu brocade 鲁锦: Hand-woven coloured cotton with geometric patterns; national intangible heritage since 2008.
• Juancheng brick sculpture 鄄城砖塑: Xie family moulded brick decoration, mostly opera scenes; national list 2008.