Site of Wuzhou City (4th Batch Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit)

Period: Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties

Location: West of Dawuzhou Village, Xiaohetou Town, Wuzhai County

Historical records note that King Hui of Zhao in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty established the Wuzhou Frontier Pass; the State of Wei set up Shenwu County. Wuzhou was founded in the late Tang Dynasty, renamed Yizhou in the Later Tang Dynasty, and restored to Wuzhou in the 9th year of the Chongxi reign of the Liao Dynasty under the military title Xuanwei Army. Wuzhou City served as a vital military garrison stronghold through successive dynasties and a mixed settlement for ethnic minorities and Han people.

The site contains two city ruins. The smaller city is rectangular in layout, while the larger one is square. The small city has a perimeter of about 1.46 kilometers, with city wall foundations 3–5 meters wide, wall tops 1–2 meters wide, and remaining wall heights of 4–6 meters. The large city stretches roughly 3 kilometers around, with wall bases 8–10 meters wide, tops 4–5 meters wide, and residual heights of 2–5 meters. The two cities stand adjacent, with the small city situated to the northwest of the large one. Field surveys reveal abundant scattered architectural fragments including tile shards and tile ends across the ground, alongside porcelain chips dating back to the Song and Liao dynasties.

A cemetery covering approximately 4 to 5 square kilometers occupies the northwest slope of the city site. In recent years, numerous brick and stone arched mural tombs have been discovered here. Unearthed relics from the tombs include Song and Liao porcelain wares such as bowls, jars, plum vases, pottery granaries, bronze mirrors, iron ploughshares and iron stoves. The murals depict diverse scenes: maidservants, the tomb owner feasting, hunting processions, official travels, and monks expounding Buddhist scriptures.