The Liye Ancient City () is an

archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...

Liye Liye () is a town of Longshan County, Hunan Province, China. Located on the northern bank of You River (), Liye is the southernmost town of the county, and bordered to the west by Youshuihe Town () and Keda Township () of Youyang County, Daxi Town ...

Town,

Longshan County Longshan County () is a county of Hunan Province, China, it is under the administration of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. Located on the western margin of the province and the north western Xiangxi, it is immediately adjacent to the borders of C ...

Hunan Province Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi t ...

, China. It was of seat of the ancient Qianling County () in Dongting Commandery () of the

Qin dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first Dynasties in Chinese history, dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin (state), ...

(221–206 BC). It is known for 37,400 Qin bamboo slips unearthed in 2002. The city was built by the Kingdom of Chu in the late

Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...

, reconstructed in the

and abandoned in the early

Western Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...

. It was approved as a historical and cultural site protected at the national level in

Hunan Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to ...

on November 22, 2002. The Liye Qin Slips Museum and the Ruins Park were officially opened on October 28, 2010.About the Ancient City Ruins of Liye - 里耶古城遗址
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Archeology

In June 1985, a group of bricklayers digging to make bricks excavated ancient potteries and weapons, the archaeologists had gradually carried out

archaeological excavations In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...

there since then. As part of the Wanmipo Hydropower station () construction, the archaeologists from Hunan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology () and the local archaeological units started a rescue excavation for the site of ancient cultural remains in Liye on April 17, 2002, the ancient city gradually revealed. In the ancient city ruins, there are a moat, a rampart, building ruins and drainage facilities, ancient wells are spread regularly in the inner and outer side. All the buildings and facilities together formed a complete system of an ancient city. In June 2002, more than 36,000 Qin Bamboo slips were unearthed in an ancient well, the event was considered as the most important archaeological discovery of the

after the Qin Terracotta Army unearthed in 1973 in an eastern suburb of

Xi'an Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by #Name, other names, is the list of capitals in China, capital of Shaanxi, Shaanxi Province. A Sub-provincial division#Sub-provincial municipalities, sub-provincial city o ...

Geography

The site is rectangular and adjacent to the You River () and surrounded by a moat to the north, south and west, there is a crossroad with the main street to the south outside. it is 210.4 meters long north to south with the width of 103 – 107 meters, the remaining area covers about 20,000 square meters.Report on Construction of Liye Ancient City Ruins Park - 里耶古城考古遗址公园建设情况汇报
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References

{{coord, 28, 47, 19.51, N, 109, 17, 40.53, E, region:CN_type:city_source:kolossus-zhwiki, display=title Longshan County Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Hunan Chu (state) Qin dynasty Ancient Chinese cities Archaeological sites in China