By Xinyi Li, EDITOR

According to the Seminar of the Archaeological Academic Value of Fanjiayan Yashu Site in Diaoyu Fortress in Hechuan District on April 24, the safeguarding and exhibition project will be inaugurated this June and be opened to the public at the second half year of 2021 upon completion. “Yashu” was the administrative office of a local bureaucrat in imperial China, and this site is a government department complex. 

The 15-year archaeological excavation

The battle for the defense of Diaoyu Fortress lasted for 36 years from 1243 to 1279, marking it a rare David-versus-Goliath case throughout the war history of China and the world. Diaoyu Fortress is worldwide famous for the fact that the Mongol prince Mongke Khan died there, which resulted in the withdrawal of Mongol armies from Syria and East Asia. The European historians laud this site as the “Oriental Mecca” and “the place God lost his temper”.

The project of archaeological excavation on Diaoyu Fortress continued for 15 years

In 2004, Hechuan District entrusted Chongqing Academy of Cultural Heritage to conduct archaeological excavation on Diaoyu Fortress. Since then, the project continued for 15 years.

On November 29, 2005, while building the guard sill of the highway between Hechuan and Diaoyu Fortress, the workers dug out a seemingly bottomless pit, in which the ancient and mysterious Southern Song Yashu Site was seated.

Nominated for the “Oscar Academy Award” of archaeological circle

Nowadays, Diaoyu Fortress becomes famous across the world again.

The Fanjiayan Historic Site was listed among China’s Top 10 New Archaeological Discoveries of 2018, which is a hard-earned honor known as the “Oscar Academy Award” of the archaeological circle. It has so far been the best-preserved Yashu site of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) after a massive archaeological excavation.

The birds-eye of Yashu Site

The Fanjiayan Yashu Historic Site was the political and military center of Diaoyu Fortress at ancient time. It follows the traditional architectural regulations of Yashu or Yamen (government office in feudal China) and highlights the striking features of a mountain city. This discovery has not only enriched the archaeological material of cities in addition to the capitals in the Song and Yuan Dynasties (960-1368), but also provided valuable tangible remains for the city site and Yashu architecture in Song Dynasty, the ancient garden, and the Song-Mongolian (Yuan) war history. Besides, iron bombs and an explosive firearm unearthed from this site serve as the witness to the era with the co-existence of the medieval firearm and cold weapon.

According to Yuan Dongshan, Fanjiayan Yashu Historic Site, as the “pearl on the crown” of mountain city defense system in the Song-Mongolian war, gives a great impetus for the Diaoyu Fortress to apply for the UNESCO World Heritage.

Establishment of the exhibition center and museum

How to attract more visitors to these valuable historical sites of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)? Diaoyu Fortress has been included into the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List as a world-class cultural heritage and a scenic cultural area of the ancient battlefield.

The safeguarding and exhibition project of Fanjiayan Yamen Site in Diaoyu Fortress will be inaugurated this June and be completed after 2.5 years. Visitors will be allowed to take a tour in 2021.

Source: CQCB