Zhuolu Huangdi City and the Site of the Battle of Banquan

Zhuolu, Zhangjiakou Starting from Deshengmen in Beijing and heading 130 kilometers north, you can reach Huangdi City in Zhuolu, Hebei. Huangdi City, also known as Xuanyuan City, is an ancient city site located on the west side of Fanshan Town in Zhuolu County. It is said that this is the ancient battlefield of the Battle of Banquan between the Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor, as well as the Battle of Banquan between the Yellow Emperor and Chiyou. Here, the Yellow Emperor's tribe united with the Yan Emperor's tribe to defeat Chiyou's tribe, leading to the Yellow Emperor unifying various tribes of China and establishing the first capital city in Chinese history. To this day, Zhuolu still preserves multiple sites and relics related to the culture of the three ancestors, such as Huangdi Spring, Chiyou's Three Villages, and the Hall of the Three Ancestors.

The Battle of Banquan was a key battle in the establishment of the Huaxia ethnic group. There are various historical accounts regarding the exact location of the Battle of Banquan. Some believe it was in the southeast of today's Zhuolu County in Hebei Province, while others think it was within the borders of Changzhi in Shanxi, or Yanqing County in Beijing, or other places. However, regardless of the exact location, the Battle of Banquan is the most famous battle between the two ancient ancestors of the Chinese nation, the Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor. It holds significant importance in the ultimate formation of the Chinese nation and is therefore regarded as the battle that marked the beginning of Chinese civilization.

Of course, this period of history is still largely in the realm of legend, with not much archaeological evidence to support it. Even the history of the Xia Dynasty is not yet clear, let alone the history before the Xia Dynasty. However, people today still tend to believe that this is the ancient battlefield of the Battle of Banquan, providing a focal point for their remembrance. Today's Zhuolu County is a small, unremarkable, and not very affluent county not far north of Beijing, with no visible traces of the tribal conflicts that took place here five thousand years ago.

Post by Tastes of Travel | Jul 13, 2024