5 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The Ancient City of Yijin Among the Top 10 Archaeological Discoveries in China

Located in Hangzhou’s Lin’an District, Yijin Ancient City among the top 10 archaeological discoveries in China in 2020.

Yijin Ancient City was discovered in 2017 when the Lian government started work for a parking lot. During construction, an ancient architectural foundation was unearthed with centuries-old bricks, porcelain, artifacts, and coins.

When the Zhejiang Archaeological Institute took over the work in the region, the ancient city, which was buried underground for centuries, came to light.

After months of research, the foundation was identified as a relic from the Kingdom of Wuyue (AD 907-978), which ruled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907-979 AD).

The Wuyue area once spread to the southeast part of Jiangsu Province, including Zhejiang Province of Shanghai, Suzhou, and the northeastern part of Fujian Province.

Archaeologists consider it an important place because its location is very close to the cemetery of Wuyue’s first king, Qian Liu (AD 852-932), and the streets of the original Lin’an City.

The dimensions of all the remains unearthed prove the importance of the city.

Yijin city
A remnant of the Wuyue Kingdom’s drainage system shows that the city was designed with a well-organized layout and an excellent drainage system.

The Chinese guan (官) character was engraved on the bricks. This meant that the buildings were used as public buildings.

Local officials continued to explore the land surrounding the government building. A discovery was made in 2019 near Chengnan Elementary School in Lin’an.

The excavation continued until 2020 with the discovery of various ruins and antiquities. One of them was a fortification 149 meters long and 8.23 meters wide. In the middle of the wall, there is a door opening to the city, 17.4 meters long and 10.5 meters wide.

Also, archaeologists uncovered three streets, building foundations, walls, and drainage pipes. All this construction shows that the city was designed with a regular layout and a perfect drainage system.

The Zhejiang Archaeological Institute confirmed the discovery and confirmed that the remains inside the government compound are part of Yijin City.

Yijin was a vital city for the Wuyue Kingdom. Emperor Qian Liu built buildings with military, administrative, and ritual functions.

The institute discovered more ruins that point to the existence of Yijin City, including imperial tomb and temples used for royal rituals.

A tile used in the construction of Yijin City.
A tile used in the construction of Yijin City.

The Wuyue Kingdom was founded in the valley plain of the Tiaoxi and Jinxi rivers, and Yijin is believed to be the center of the kingdom. He laid the foundations of today’s Lin’an District, where there is a street named after the ancient city.

According to historical archives, Qian founded the Kingdom of Wuyue and kept the region peaceful and safe at a time when much of China was in turmoil.

The Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) established imperial power in northern China, while the Wuyue Kingdom grew in southern China.

Buddhism and ceramics boomed at that time. Last year, archaeologists discovered a variety of celadon from the city of Yijin, symbolizing the fine porcelain craftsmanship of that period.

The ancient Yue Furnace in Zhejiang Province was the main celadon production center throughout history, and the peak of its productivity came during the Wuyue Kingdom. Experts consider the celadon from this period to be among the best products ever produced.

What is Celadon?

It is a type of glaze in Chinese pottery and is also the name given to wares of green colors similar to jade. In China, the jade stone is one of the stones that is loved and respected in terms of its properties. Therefore, this type of ceramic was very popular and used until it was replaced by blue and white porcelains.

Related Articles

Man-made Viking-era cave discovered in Iceland Bigger, Older Than Previously Thought

2 June 2022

2 June 2022

Archaeologists from the Archaeological Institute of Iceland have uncovered an extensive system of interconnected structures that are not only much...

2500-year-old ship graffiti sheds light on the history of Izmir in western Turkey

9 March 2022

9 March 2022

In the Smyrna Agora, which is one of the largest ancient agora in the city center of the world and...

Romanian Police Find the Stolen Viking Helmet

21 February 2021

21 February 2021

Romanian police specializing in heritage crimes recovered a medieval helmet of “Viking origin” on February 7, which had disappeared a...

A 1700-year-old Roman water tunnel dug into the mountain was discovered in Adıyaman province in southeastern Türkiye

13 September 2023

13 September 2023

It was revealed that in the Besni district of Adıyaman province, located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, the...

A new Archaeological Site has been Discovered in Oman

7 July 2021

7 July 2021

Oman‘s Ministry of Heritage and Tourism recently discovered an ancient site in the town of Al Khobar, Sumail Province, Al...

Queen of Seas Who Challenged Rome: ‘Queen Teuta’

31 October 2023

31 October 2023

Illyrian Queen Teuta is one of the most extraordinary figures of Illyrian antiquity and of Albanian heritage. She was also...

Inscriptions That Could Change the History of Turkish Migration to Anatolia Are Disappearing: Esatlı Kaya Inscriptions

30 March 2025

30 March 2025

Researchers made a significant discovery during field research conducted in 1994 in Esatlı village, Mesudiye, Ordu. They introduced a series...

An unknown human group is revealed in a 7,200-year-old skeleton discovered in Indonesia

27 August 2021

27 August 2021

According to a study released this week, archaeologists uncovered the bones of a 7,200-year-old skeleton from a female hunter-gatherer in...

A Hoard of Gold and Silver Roman Coins Dating Back to the Reign of Emperor Nero was Found in Worcestershire

7 December 2024

7 December 2024

A hoard of Roman and Iron Age silver coins dating back to Emperor Nero’s reign has been found during building...

Exploring the life story of a high-status woman from isotope data in Hungary’s largest Bronze Age cemetery

29 July 2021

29 July 2021

Researchers examined 29 tombs from Szigetszentmiklós-Ürgehegy, one of Hungary’s largest Middle Bronze Age cemeteries, and one of them, a high-status...

AI Unlocks Ancient Secrets: Dead Sea Scrolls May Be Centuries Older Than Previously Thought

8 June 2025

8 June 2025

New research blends cutting-edge artificial intelligence with advanced radiocarbon dating and offers a transformative perspective on the origins of the...

An Urartian female executive grave was found at the Çavuştepe Mound

9 September 2021

9 September 2021

The grave of an Urartian, who was buried with his horse, cattle, and dog, had been found recently. Today, another...

A Celtiberian city more than 2000 years old found in Spain

16 July 2023

16 July 2023

The Polytechnic University of Madrid announced the discovery of a Roman camp and the Celtiberian city of Titiakos in the...

Excavations show the Temple of Poseidon at Samikon is more Monumental than Previously Assumed -New Discoveries

3 November 2024

3 November 2024

New excavations by archaeologists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Greek Ministry of Culture in Kleidi-Samikon in the...

The New Study, Reveals Invisible Stews

25 November 2022

25 November 2022

New Results of Organic Residue Analyzes of Beveled Rim Bowls in Mesopotamia Reveal Invisible Stews. The world’s first urban state...