What Famous Liao and Jin Dynasty Historical Sites Are There in Baicheng?
The Liao and Jin historic sites in Baicheng centre on the Cheng Sijiazi City Ruins. A great number of city sites, pagodas, temples, tombs and imperial Nabo activity sites form an integrated cluster of Liao and Jin cultural relics.
I. Cheng Sijiazi City Ruins (National Key Cultural Relic, Must-see Attraction)
Location: Deshun Mongolian Township, Taobei District, on the northern bank of the Tao'er River.
Historical Status: This was Changchun Prefecture of the Liao Dynasty and Xintaizhou of the Jin Dynasty. It served as the core imperial palace for the Liao emperors' Spring Nabo. It is also one of the best-preserved Liao and Jin prefectural cities in Northeast China.
Scale: The city wall stretches 5,748 metres in perimeter, covering an area of 2.05 square kilometres. The rammed-earth city wall stands 5–7 metres high and 18 metres wide. It features four city gates with barbicans, corner towers, horse ramparts and moats, retaining a complete ancient layout.
Cultural Value: Listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 2006. Archaeologists unearthed the official seal of the Secretariat-Chancellery (a Class I national cultural relic), Liao and Jin bricks, Buddha statues, and tens of thousands of copper coins from the Tang and Song dynasties. These artefacts fully testify to the political, economic and military systems of the Liao and Jin dynasties.
II. Other Liao and Jin City Ruins
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Chaganhot City Ruins (Taobei District)
A military stronghold spanning the Liao, Jin and Yuan dynasties, and the administrative seat of Taining Circuit in the Yuan Dynasty. Remnants of the earthen ramparts still remain. It was a vital hub on the Grassland Silk Road.
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Taonan Twin Pagodas (Deshun Township, Taobei District)
Buddhist architecture dating back to the Liao Dynasty. The two 12-metre-high brick pagodas feature an inverted-bowl shape, carved with Sanskrit scriptures and mythical beast reliefs. They are rare surviving Liao pagodas on the Songliao Plain.
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Zhenlai Liao Pagoda (Zhenlai County)
An octagonal multi-eaved brick pagoda of the Liao Dynasty, roughly 20 metres tall with exquisite relief carvings on its body. It ranks among the oldest existing buildings in Baicheng.
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Cluster of Liao and Jin Ancient Cities in Da'an
- Hanshu Site: Continuously occupied from the Bronze Age through the Liao and Jin dynasties. Liao and Jin pottery shards and ironware have been excavated here. It is a nationally protected cultural relic.
- Houtaomuga Site: Occupied from the Neolithic Age to the Liao and Jin periods. House foundations and ash pits from the Liao-Jin strata reveal the settlement patterns of grassland tribes.
III. Nabo-related Sites (Core Culture of the Liao Dynasty)
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Spring Nabo Site Cluster (along the Tao'er River and Moon Lake)
More than 70 sites include fishing terraces, wild goose hunting grounds and imperial palace foundations. This was where Liao emperors fished through ice in spring, hunted geese and wild swans, held the First Fish Banquet, and handled state affairs.
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Xiangyang Nangangzi Site (Zhenlai County)
A Liao-Jin settlement where pottery shards with Khitan patterns and iron arrowheads were unearthed. It has close connections with imperial Nabo activities.
IV. Liao and Jin Tomb Clusters
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Xianghaigu Tomb Cluster (Taobei District)
Noble tombs of the Liao Dynasty. Bronze wares, pottery figurines and gold-and-silver ornaments excavated here record cultural integration among grassland ethnic groups.
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Liao Tombs in Taobei District
Multiple burial sites for Khitan commoners and nobles. Murals and burial objects vividly reflect social life in the Liao Dynasty.
V. Cultural Significance & Travel Tips
Core Value: Baicheng lies at the heart of Liao Dynasty Nabo culture. Cheng Sijiazi once functioned as the political, military and economic centre of western Northeast China during the Liao and Jin dynasties, offering crucial physical evidence for studying Khitan and Jurchen history.
Travel Suggestions: Prioritize Cheng Sijiazi City Ruins and Taonan Twin Pagodas, then pay a visit to Chaganhot City Ruins on the same trip. The best visiting season runs from May to October, when the terrain is open and the relics are clearly visible
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