The ruins of Bairen City are located 12.5 kilometers west of the city of Longyao County, Xingtai, Hebei Province, around the villages of Yicheng and Chengjiao in Shuangbei Township. Founded in the Spring and Autumn Period, the city has a history of more than 2,600 years, was the second largest city in the Zhao State after Handan during the Warring States period, and was the local political, economic, military and cultural center at that time.
In 1982, the site of Bairen City was announced as a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit, and in 1995, it was announced as a provincial-level large-scale cultural relics protection unit.
Bairen City is a rammed earth building, it is adjacent to the Ling River in the north, surrounded by gangs on three sides (1.5 km to the south is Muhuagang, 1.5 km to the southeast is Guangtai Gang, and 2 km to the southwest is Ma Shed Gang), according to the mountains and rivers, the terrain is dangerous, and it is a place where soldiers and families must fight for generations. There are thousands of ancient tombs of the Warring States and Han Dynasties on each post. The city is nearly square, with a beveled angle to the northwest. The total length of the city wall is 8017 meters: its middle east wall is 2225 meters, the south wall is 1915 meters, the western city wall is 1451 meters, and the northern city wall is 2426 meters, covering an area of 4 square kilometers. The southern half of the east and west city walls and the southern city wall in addition to some parts of the city wall have different degrees of damage, most of the contours are clear, well preserved, accounting for three-fifths of the total city wall, the current average residual height of the city wall ranges from 2-6 meters, the highest point is 7 meters, the base width is 16.5 meters, rammed earth is built. The rammed earth layer of the city wall is about 10 cm, and each height of 60 cm is paved with a layer of chestnut wood, and the spacing of the chestnut wood varies from 30 to 60 cm, which is equivalent to the steel bar of modern architecture. The site of Bairen City is one of the well-preserved ancient large cities in China, and there are nine gates in Bairen City: three gates in the east and three gates in the west, two gates in the south, and one gate in the north. The width of the city gate is about 16.5 meters, the moat is 10 meters away from the city wall, and the width of the river is 18 meters; The central palace building area is in the north-central part of the city, 300 meters wide from north to south, 1400 meters long from east to west, and covers an area of 420,000 square meters. Experts estimate that the amount of earthwork accumulation on the surface of the building reached more than 1.1 million cubic meters, which was undoubtedly a great feat in human history at that time!
In the area around the Cooper City, there have been several wars in history. According to historical records: In 491 BC, the Zhao clan of Jin Qing had a civil war with the Zhongxing clan and the Fan clan, and Zhongxing Wenzi fled to the Bai people, and Zhao Jianzi surrounded the Bai people. In the 8th year of Han Gaozu (199 BC), Liu Bang passed the Bai people, fearing being assassinated, and did not stay in the west, so that the conspiracy of Zhao Xiangguan's senior people failed. In 24 AD, when Liu Xiu, the Emperor Guangwu of the Later Han Dynasty, started his business, he defeated Wang Lang and Li Yu outside the city of Bairen. BairenCheng became an important military fortress of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty in the Hebei region. In the last year of the Western Jin Dynasty, Shi Le, a member of the Xiongnu tribe (a branch of the Xiongnu), led an army to attack the Jin general Wang Jun to occupy the city of Bairen, and greatly destroyed the Jin army. This battle laid the foundation for Shi Le to become emperor in the ancient Xiang state (Xingtai City).
There is Zhang Ertai in the northwest corner of Bairen City, and there is also Zhang Er Military Parade Office in the north wall of Yicheng Village, according to reports, Zhang Er was one of the leaders of the peasant revolt at the end of Qin, after the Battle of Julu, Xiang Yu named him the King of Changshan, Duxindu (present-day Xingtai), and later Liu Bang made him the King of Zhao, the Capital Xiangguo (present-day Xingtai). Zhang Er played a major role in overthrowing the Qin Dynasty, helping Liu Bang defeat Xiang Yu, and establishing the Western Han Dynasty.
According to historical records, Bairen City has existed as a famous bustling ancient city for more than 1,300 years since the founding of the city in 624 BC by The Duke Wen of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period until it was flooded in the first year of Tang Tianbao. Since then, it has gone through more than 1200 years of wind and rain to become the ruins of today's Bairen City. After exploration and excavation by the archaeological department, the outline of its majestic rammed earth wall has been revealed, showing the prosperity and splendor of the ancient city, telling the historical past that has occurred here for more than 2600 years and its special status.
(Tidying up, free as the wind)