Don't Just Know About Xuzhou Museum, There's an Underground City Wonder Here

Xuzhou, historically known as Pengcheng, is the hometown of Emperor Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty and a national historical and cultural city. As early as 4,000 years ago during the Longshan Culture period, the ancestors of Xuzhou were already living on this land. According to the "Zuo Zhuan," Xuzhou (Pengcheng) has a history of at least 2,600 years, making it the oldest city in Jiangsu Province. Looking back over thousands of years, the ancient city of Xuzhou has remained in the same location since its founding, but due to continuous warfare and floods, the historical city sites have been deeply buried underground. With ongoing urban development, the remarkable phenomenon of "cities beneath cities, streets beneath streets, and wells beneath wells" - layers reaching over ten meters deep - has gradually been revealed, leaving visitors in awe. The cultural treasures and countless mysteries hidden in Xuzhou's underground city ruins are a rare wonder in urban history, both in China and worldwide. The Xuzhou Underground City Museum is located in the downtown area but hidden underground, making it a must-visit spot❗ ♻️ Visiting Tips 💦 The exhibition hall is located beneath Pengcheng Square, and the entrance can be a bit difficult to find. It's recommended to enter through the Golden Eagle Shopping Mall and ask for directions. 💦 You can use the discount coupon on Han Fu for half-price admission, which costs 10 yuan. The visit also includes two free subway tickets. 💦 If you arrive early, look up from underground to see the connection between Suning Plaza and the ancient underground treasures. At 10 AM, the vermilion gates slowly open to reveal the wonder of the underground city. ♨️ Museum Highlights 1⃣️ The most common discoveries in Xuzhou's underground city ruins are traces of ordinary people's lives. Wells so deep you can't see the bottom, interconnected streets. Tofu shops, blacksmith workshops, and curbstones bear witness to the bustling markets. Pots, pans, ladles, copper spoons, iron rollers, bamboo chopsticks, wooden combs, and tons of blue and white porcelain fragments are memories of life from a thousand years ago. 2⃣️ Wang Yan Merit Stele from the Five Dynasties Period Unearthed at the Suning Plaza construction site, about 7 meters below ground, consisting of a stele body and base. The stele is rectangular with a damaged top, and the base has a damaged head. Total height is 3.27 meters. Text is carved on both sides of the stele, recording how Wang Yan of Xuzhou was appointed as Military Governor of Wuning during the Five Dynasties period and his achievements during his tenure. It's now placed in a courtyard with flowing water, where you can look up to see blue sky and white clouds while viewing the submerged ancient relics before you. 3⃣️ Stone Pillar Unearthed from the underground city ruins in the Confucian Temple district, dating from the Ming Dynasty, it was part of a stone bridge. A stone lion sits on top, with round bulging eyes, a broad nose and mouth, wearing a collar with a bell, and its right front paw resting on an embroidered ball. The carving lines are smooth, lively, and dynamic. 4⃣️ Ruins Hall 🔆 On the left side of the entrance is a huge archaeological ruins hall, with some areas still undeveloped. The first phase of archaeological excavation covered 950 square meters, with an actual display area of about 550 square meters. For protection and exhibition purposes, a Ming Dynasty urban living scene from Xuzhou has been revealed in the northern excavation area, featuring two courtyards and a road with 14 rooms of various types. The stone-paved road has been confirmed as the North Gate Main Street of Ming Dynasty Xuzhou, and flood prevention facilities were discovered for the first time. The southern excavation area contains cultural deposits from the Han Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty, reaching a depth of 8 meters, with ash pits, water ditches, stoves, house foundations, wells, and other remains. 🔆 Courtyard No. 1 is located on the north side of the current ruins exhibition area, separated from Courtyard No. 2 by a wall to the south, with an exposed area of about 360 square meters. The entire courtyard consists of a main gate, street-facing shops, front yard, corridor, back yard, kitchen, wing rooms, and main rooms, along with living facilities such as millstones and wells. This courtyard has a total of 8 rooms including main rooms, wing rooms, kitchen, and shops. Currently, only part of the main room has been revealed, with the main body scheduled for excavation in 2022. 🔆 Ming Dynasty North Gate Street The road runs north-south, paved with stone slabs and stones of various sizes, generally sloping gently from south to north. The exposed length is 34.5 meters, with a remaining width of 3.25-4.25 meters. On both the east and west sides of the road is a row of circular wicker baskets filled with sand.