THE Minyue Kingdom city is 35 kilometers north of the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian Province, and has a history of more than 2,300 years. Constructed on the summits of a few foothills, the city faces the magnificent Wuyi mountains to the west, and hills and mounds to its north and south. A gurgling crystalline stream originating in the Wuyi Mountains flows from the west to the city and then goes past it from north to south. Its vast stretches of alluvial plains in the east and north give this ancient city a splendid aspect.

In ancient times, the Minyue was a Fujian ethnic group. According to historical records, these people espoused the politics, economics, culture and arts popularized in the Central Plains (comprising the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River) while maintaining their own religious practices and local customs. They eventually created a splendid culture within their ancient kingdom. The Minyue Kingdom was the earliest, longest surviving and most powerful local regime. This ethnic group now no longer exists. However, the remains of the old city walls on the rising and falling mountain ranges are visible from the distance.

The site of this ancient city covers the summits of three rolling hills. Constructed in harmony with its terrain, the city is higher to the west, and gradually dips to the east. Its shape is that of an irregular rectangle. The city measures 860 meters in length from south to north, and 550 meters in width from east to west, and has a total area of 480,000 square meters, making it two-thirds the size of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The city walls are built from rammed earth filled with pebbles and debris.

The height of the existing city wall ranges from 4 to 8 meters. It is 4 to 8 meters wide on top, and expands from 15 to 21 meters at the bottom. Wugui (Turtle) Hill in the city's southwestern corner, is the highest point from which to gain a panoramic view of the city. The rammed earth terrace is believed to have been a beacon tower, and at times of danger, it was from here that the local people sent smoke signals in daylight, and lit fire signals at night. Nowadays, the beacon tower is where visitors take in spectacular view of the Dawang (Great King) Peak, one of the most famous scenic spots within the Wuyi Mountains.

The city has four gates -- the east gate at the southern section of the eastern city wall, the south gate at the middle section of the southern city wall, the west gate at the southern section of the western city wall, and the north gate at the northern corner of the eastern city wall. The pebble-paved road between the east and west gates links up with the city's main road. The city has two river courses naturally formed by three mountain ridges. Its water comes from steams outside the city. Two 22-meter-wide river gates are installed at the southern section of the east gate and western city walls respectively. The North and South Hills outside the east gate constitute the sites of the Minyue Ancestral Temple and an altar for offering sacrifices.

The main entrance is at the east gate, and before it is an open area. Archaeological excavation has shown that the gateway is 5 meters wide and 9.5 meters long. The square chases remaining on both sides of the gateway, and inside and outside the gate piers, indicate that there were formerly columns supporting the high gate tower. Huge door hinges have been unearthed on either side of the main entrance. The living quarters for guards on patrol are found on both sides of the gateway, and stairs lead from their rooms to the east gate tower. Broken swords and arrowheads were discovered there during excavations.

The pebble-paved main road between the east and west gates leads directly to the central palace. The palace covers an area of 20,000 square meters, half of which has been excavated. This high-terrace structure comprises a front gate, gate houses, a main hall, eastern and western wing houses, eastern and western corridors, a western wing hall, a bathing pool and western courtyard. Its layout features even, symmetric, and axial architectural styles. The walled complex has doors connecting to other buildings and structures in the city.

The main hall is located at the center of the palace and faces south. Its remains show that it was 38 meters in width and 25 meters in depth, covering 950 square meters. The remains of the walls reveal painted white lime mixed with mud and straw. Covering the roof are large flat tiles and semi-circular tiles, and its eaves are decorated with eaves tiles of various patterns, and Chinese characters embodying good wishes and auspiciousness. Its winding corridor is paved with diamond patterned square bricks. The steps to the hall are built with jade-pattern air bricks, each being two meters long. The drainage system was built of pottery pipes in various sizes.

The courtyard in front of the hall has sidewalks paved with square bricks leading to other buildings. On the east side of the hall is an indoor bathing pool, 13.5 meters long, 6.5 meters wide and 0.6 meters deep. The bottom is paved with square bricks. The pool has a small drainage pipeline under the eastern wall, four east-to-west parallel pottery pipelines arranged at the western side of the pool, and another four south-to-north ones at the northern side. The pipelines are buried in the rammed earth at the pool bottom. There is another set of circular pottery pipelines for heating purpose at the east corner of the northern side. This is where the king of the Minyue Kingdom took a bath.

Behind the main hall where the king held grand ceremonies and meetings and received his officials and visitors are the remains of the living quarters of the king and his family. They have not been excavated, but archaeologists believe, judging from the layout of the palace, that they were in the traditional style of imperial palaces of the Central Plains.

People of the Minyue ethnic group imitated the architectural style of the imperial palaces built during the Qin (221-206 B.C.) and Han (206 B.C.- 220) dynasties in terms of layout and use of building materials, but preferred to maintain their local cultural style of structure and decorative materials.

A great quantity of pottery, mainly daily use articles and building ceramics, has been unearthed from the city site. They include containers, cooking vessels, bowls, washing basins, and weaving implements such as spinning wheels and spindles. These articles feature exquisite workmanship, elegant shapes, and fine body texture, which when struck give a resonance that would put it in the class of "Hard Pottery." The qualities of strength, fire-resistance and water-absorption of "Hard Pottery" are almost equal to that of the original celadon. The raw materials used for making this pottery are high in iron content, giving it a gray or yellow brown color.

The ancient city of the Minyue Kingdom symbolizes the glorious page in Chinese history the Minyue ethnic group created before the traditional Han culture prevailed in Fujian Province. As a typical example of an ancient city of south China, it embodies the essence of a long gone ancient civilization, and is consequently of great historical value. In December 1999, the City of the Minyue Kingdom and the Wuyi Mountains were designated as sites of world cultural and natural heritage.

By LIANG SHUBANG