 琉璃河遗址 | |
 | |
| Established | 1995 |
|---|---|
| Location | Beijing |
| Coordinates | 39°36′55″N116°03′00″E / 39.61528°N 116.05000°E /39.61528; 116.05000 |
| Type | Archaeological site,History museum |
| Public transit access | Public Bus |
TheWestern Zhou Yan State Capital Museum (Chinese:西周燕都遗址博物馆) is anarchaeologicalmuseum in southwesternBeijing Municipality at the site of the capital of the ancientState of Yan during theWestern Zhou dynasty. The site is located in Dongjialin Village, just north of Liulihe Township (琉璃河镇), inFangshan District, 43 km (27 mi) south of Beijing's city centre. During the Western Zhou dynasty, over 3,000 years ago, the walled settlement at Liulihe, as the site is also known, served as the capital of the Yan, avassal state of the Zhou dynasty. The discovery of the site in 1962 is considered to be one of the 100 major archaeological discoveries in China during the 20th century.[1] Artifacts from the site including engraved bronze ware and chariots provide the earliest archaeological evidence of urban settlement in Beijing Municipality. The museum at the site, operated by the municipal government, opened in 1995.
The ancient city at Liulihe measured 3.5 km (2.2 mi) from east to west and 1.5 km (0.93 mi) from north to south, covering an area of 5.25 km2 (2.0 sq mi).[2] Some 829 m (2,720 ft) of the north wall and 300 m (980 ft) of the west wall still remain and are visible in the farmland around the museum.[3][4] A moat 2 m (6.6 ft) deep surrounded the city.[3] A palace was located inside the city just north of city center with sacrificial sites and living quarters nearby.[3] Cemeteries located outside the city to the southeast are divided by theBeijing-Guangzhou Railway into Sectors I and II. Sector I, from theShang dynasty, is smaller in size and contains remnants of human and dog sacrifice.[3]Sector II, possibly from theZhou dynasty, contains greater numbers of large- and medium-sized tombs of nobles with chariots and rich set of burial items.[3] In all, 200 tombs have been found, with the largest containing 42 sacrificed horses. Several thousand ceramic, ivory, jade, bone, lacquer and bronze artifacts including bronze ceremonial vessels and weapons have been found at the Liulihe Site.[3]
The most historically significant discovery at Liulihe is M1193, the tomb of the Marquis of Yan, which yielded two inscribed bronzes.[5] These two bronzes memorialize exchanges between Yan, the vassal state, and the kings of theZhou dynasty.[5] The inscriptions on the bronzes describeinvestiture ceremony and theenfeoffment of the vassal State of Yan to theDuke of Shao.[5] The inscriptions corroborate theRecords of the Grand Historian, which states that whenKing Wu of Zhou defeated theShang dynasty and founded theZhou dynasty in 1045 B.C., he conferred titles of nobility to vassal rulers in his domain. Among those receiving titles were the rulers of the States ofJi andYan, two states located in modern-dayBeijing Municipality. The capital of Yan at Liulihe has been established with considerable certainty through archaeological evidence at Liulihe. The capital of Ji, is believed to be located further north, near modern-day Guang'anmen inXicheng District.
The artifacts unearthed at Liulihe demonstrate the Yan capital's wealth and political importance during theWestern Zhou dynasty dating back to at least the 11th century B.C. During the subsequent Eastern[clarification needed] around in the 7th century B.C., the state of Yan conquered the State of Ji to the north and moved its capital from Liulihe to Ji, which became the urban center of Beijing for the next 2,000 years until the 13th century, when the city centre shifted further north during the Yuan dynasty.
The ancient city at Liulihe was discovered in 1962.[2] Four major archaeological excavation were undertaken from 1972 to the early 1990s.[4] The site was named a National Level Cultural Heritage Protection Site in 1988 and planning for a museum began in 1990.[2][6] The Western Zhou dynasty Yan Capital Site Museum opened on August 21, 1995.[7] In 1996, a tortoise shell was discovered in H108 with the initials ofKing Cheng of Zhou, the second ruler of the Zhou dynasty who ruled from 1042 to 1020 B.C. This artifact has been used in theXia–Shang–Zhou Chronology Project.[8]
The museum complex occupies 18,000 m2 (190,000 sq ft) of land at the Liulihe Site. The main exhibition hall with 3,000 m2 (32,000 sq ft) display space is divided into seven halls—including the Halls of Bronze Ceremonial Ware, Entombed Chariots, Bronze Libation Vessels and Weapons, and Ceramic and Lacquerware.[7] In all, there are over 300 artifacts and hundreds of other models and replicas on display.[9]
The museum is located near Dongjialin Village in Liulihe Township in Fangshan District off theG4 Expressway andNational Highway 107. Parking is available.
Beijing Bus Route No. 834, 835 and 835快 and Fangshan Bus Route No. 房27 and 房39 stop at the Shang Zhou dynasty Site (商周遗址站).[10]
Admission is free to the museum, which is closed on Mondays.[3]