The Taizi City Site in Chongli, Hebei Province: Archaeological Discoveries of the Jin Dynasty Royal Palace
*This article is sourced from *The Summer Palace of the Jin Dynasty — Archaeological Excavation of the Taizicheng Site in Chongli***
The Taizicheng site, located in Chongli District, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, lies at the core area of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. From 2017 to 2020, after four years of archaeological excavation,the site was confirmed to be the remains of a royal palace from the middle to late Jin Dynasty,and is highly likely to be the Taihe Palace, the summer retreat (Nabo) of Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin Dynasty.This discovery holds immense academic value for the study of Jin Dynasty cities, architecture, the Nabo system, and ceramics, among other fields.
Location map of the Taizicheng site
General plan of the Taizicheng site
Archaeological work at the site began in 1978 and was accelerated after Beijing's successful bid to host the Winter Olympics. In accordance with the *Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Cultural Relics*, the Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics submitted an application for archaeological excavation to the National Cultural Heritage Administration, which was approved. The excavation results show that the Taizicheng site has a rectangular layout, measuring 417.53 meters from north to south and 343.05 meters from east to west, with an orientation of 158°. The western wall features two layers with a spacing of 64.15 meters, and the southern gate is equipped with a barbican and a moat. Within the city, a total of 72 building foundations, 2 wells, 9 ash pits, 22 roads, and 4 drainage ditches were discovered.
Aerial view of the overall excavation area of the Taizicheng site from 2017 to 2019
The excavation of the Taizicheng site not only added profound historical and cultural depth to the Olympic competition zone but also embodied the concept of a "People's Olympics." During the Winter Olympics, the site's preservation and exhibition project was opened to the public in the form of a national archaeological site park, serving as a model of combining Olympic venue construction with cultural relic protection.
Artifacts unearthed from the Taizicheng site mainly include gray clay tile bricks, chiwen (ornamental roof figures), pinjia (decorative figures), phoenix-shaped architectural components, as well as green-glazed architectural components, copper and iron fittings, porcelain, and gilded dragon-shaped ornaments.Among the porcelain, Ding ware white porcelain predominates, with 22 pieces inscribed with the mark "Shangshiju" (Imperial Food Bureau), alongside celadon boxes imitating Ru ware and black-glazed chicken-leg bottles and jars. Copper artifacts include fragments such as seated dragons and bronze mirrors.These artifacts not only reflect the royal nature of the site but also provide precious materials for the study of Jin Dynasty royal architecture.
Table: Comparison of architectural components unearthed from the Taizicheng site and the sites of the Jin Upper Capital, Jin tombs, and the Changbai Mountain Temple
In addition, a large number of fine white porcelain and celadon, exclusively reserved for the royal family, were unearthed at the site, which is of great significance for studying the ceramic technology, the system of imperial supplies, and the composition of palace utensils during the Jin Dynasty.Judging from the ceramic assemblage unearthed at Taizicheng Site, Ding kiln white-glazed porcelain was the primary choice for Jin Dynasty palace ceramics, with large quantities and a rich variety of vessel types. Ru-type celadon, on the other hand, represented the Jin court's preference for celadon, though in smaller quantities and with fewer vessel types.The discovery of the Northern Song Ru kiln washer indicates that the Jin court continued the ceramic system of the Northern Song imperial household. The selection of ordinary ceramics such as化妆白瓷 from the Shanxi Huairen kiln was not a deliberate choice, but rather because Longmen County, where the Taizicheng Site is located, belonged to Xuande Prefecture of the Western Capital Circuit in the Jin Dynasty, and Datong, where the Huairen kiln was located, was the capital of the Western Capital Circuit. They were chosen primarily for convenience of access. The combination of Ding kiln white porcelain and Ru-type celadon at the Taizicheng Site not only continued the Northern Song pairing of Ding kiln white porcelain and Ru kiln celadon, but also carried on the tradition of the Tang Dynasty's Xing kiln white porcelain and Yue kiln celadon combination. This demonstrates that the white-and-green combination was the dominant color scheme for palace ceramics in the Tang, Song, and Jin dynasties of China, reflecting the Jurchen people's recognition of Central Plains culture and serving as an important manifestation of the pluralistic and integrated culture of the Chinese nation.
Due to its significant academic value, the Taizicheng Site was named one of the "Six Major Archaeological Discoveries of China in 2018" and was designated as a key national cultural relic protection unit in the eighth batch. The project was led by Huang Xin and his team, with strong support from the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the Hebei Provincial Government, and other institutions.
Ceramics
White-glazed bowl with "Shangshiju" inscription
Jin Dynasty (1115–1234)
Belly diameter 15.5 cm, base diameter 7.3 cm, residual height 5.1 cm
White-glazed bowl with "Shangshiju" inscription
Mouth diameter 28.3 cm, base diameter 11.4 cm, height 13.1 cm
White-glazed bowl with "Shangshiju" inscription
Mouth diameter 18.4 cm, base diameter 7.6 cm, height 8.8 cm
White-glazed bowl with "Shangshiju" inscription
Mouth diameter 17.9 cm, base diameter 7.8 cm, height 8.8 cm
White-glazed bowl with "Shangshiju" mark
Base diameter 7.8 cm, remaining height 2.8 cm, thickness 0.6 cm
White-glazed bowl with "Shangshiju" mark
Base diameter 8 cm, remaining height 6 cm
White-glazed bowl with "Shangshiju" mark
Base diameter 8 cm, remaining height 3.4 cm
White-glazed dish with "Shangshiju" mark
Base diameter 7 cm, remaining height 1.9 cm
Slip-decorated white porcelain bowl
Mouth diameter 21 cm, base diameter 7.4 cm, height 6.5 cm
White-glazed bowl with impressed decoration
Mouth diameter 18 cm, remaining height 7.8 cm
Mouth diameter 21.6 cm, base diameter 6.6 cm, height 8 cm, thickness 0.5 cm
Mouth diameter 24.6 cm, base diameter 7.6 cm, height 10.4 cm
Slip-painted white porcelain bowl with "Guan" mark
Base diameter 8 cm, height 8.8 cm, thickness 0.8 cm
White-glazed bowl with impressed decoration
Mouth diameter 16.4 cm, base diameter 6.6 cm, height 7.3 cm
Mouth diameter 19.2 cm, base diameter 5.8 cm, height 7.4 cm
Carved white porcelain dish with slip decoration
Jin Dynasty (1115–1234)
Mouth diameter 20.8 cm, base diameter 6.6 cm, height 4.2 cm
White-glazed dish with impressed decoration
Mouth diameter 20.7 cm, base diameter 6.9 cm, height 4.5 cm, thickness 0.6 cm
White-glazed dish with carved lotus pattern
Mouth diameter 16.4 cm, base diameter 5.2 cm, height 3.1 cm, thickness 0.3 cm
Mouth diameter 20.5 cm, base diameter 6.6 cm, height 3.7 cm
White-glazed cup with impressed design
Mouth diameter 12 cm, base diameter 3.6 cm, height 4.8 cm, thickness 0.4 cm
Celadon-glazed washer
Late Northern Song Dynasty (1086–1127)
Base diameter 10 cm, length 11.2 cm, height 1.4 cm
Mouth diameter 8.1 cm, base diameter 4.0 cm, height 3.2 cm
Residual length 6.1 cm, residual width 3.7 cm, thickness 0.5 cm
Mouth diameter 18.1 cm, base diameter 10.5 cm, height 5.6 cm
Black-glazed chicken-leg bottle
Mouth diameter 4.9 cm, base diameter 5.6 cm, height 26.5 cm
Brown-glazed chicken-leg bottle
Mouth diameter 4.6 cm, base diameter 5.4 cm, height 27.6 cm
Remaining length 6.4 cm, remaining width 3.8 cm, thickness 0.3 cm
White-glazed vessel cover with carved makara pattern
Mouth diameter 8.6 cm, height 3.4 cm
Black-glazed jar with double lugs
Mouth diameter 12 cm, base diameter 8.4 cm, height 17.2 cm
Architectural component
Dragon horn
Jin Dynasty (1115–1234)
Remaining length 25.2 cm, width 4.4 cm / Remaining length 23.8 cm, width 4 cm
Bronze dragon-head component
Length 5.4 cm, height 4.4 cm
Remaining height 9.6 cm, width 8.5 cm
Height 35.8 cm, width 12.2 cm
Remaining height 42 cm, remaining width 33 cm, thickness 21 cm
Eave tile with animal-face pattern
Diameter 12 cm, center thickness 2.4 cm, rim width 2 cm, rim thickness 1.8 cm
Eave-end cylindrical tile
Tile-end diameter 10.2 cm, center thickness 2 cm, rim width 1.8 cm, rim thickness 1.1 cm, cylindrical tile length 29.5 cm, width 10 cm, thickness 1.4 cm,
Perforation diameter 1.3 cm
Five-pronged fork-shaped implement
Remaining length 16 cm, width 8.8 cm
Remaining length 18 cm, width 10 cm
Remaining length 14.8 cm, width 7 cm
"Seven-Chi-Five-Di" Chiwen Ornament
Remaining length 28.8 cm, remaining width 19.6 cm, thickness 6.2 cm
Remaining length 9.5 cm, width 20.7 cm, thickness 2.1 cm, eaves width 2.4 cm
Six-Petal Flower-Shaped Copper Cap Iron Nail
Total length 9.4 cm, cap diameter 4.2 cm
Diamond-Shaped Copper Ornament
Same size, length 11.7 cm, width 5.8 cm, thickness 0.02 cm
(Far right) Jin Dynasty (1115–1234)
Single prong length 4.5–5.3 cm, prong spacing 6.7–8.5 cm
Brick strip with "Gong" mark
Jin Dynasty (1115–1234)
Remaining length 20.3 cm, width 16.4 cm, thickness 4.9 cm
Pingjia (a mythical bird)
Remaining height 11.6 cm, width 8 cm
Pingjia (a mythical bird)
Total height 46.8 cm, remaining width 14.4 cm, base diameter 12.5 cm, head length 11.3 cm, wing length 13.5 cm
Total height 50 cm, remaining width 13.6 cm, base diameter 12.3 cm, head length 10 cm
Chiwen ornament with "Tianzi Sanchi" mark
Length 95.6 cm, width 75.6 cm, thickness 22.5 cm
Diamond-patterned floral brick strip
Remaining length 30.2 cm, width 16.3 cm, thickness 4.1 cm
Remaining length 32 cm, width 16.5 cm, thickness 4.3 cm
Brick with arched-gate-shaped lotus pattern
Remaining length 32 cm, width 22.4 cm, thickness 3.4 cm
Square brick with floral pattern and handprint
Length 30.9 cm, width 27.6 cm, thickness 4.2 cm
