History stirs beneath modern streets

The story of "sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall" is one of China's most enduring parables. It tells of King Goujian of the ancient Yue state, who endured years of humiliation before rising to become one of the great leaders of the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC).

But for decades, one question has lingered among archaeologists: where exactly was his capital?

Recent excavations beneath the streets of modern-day Shaoxing in eastern Zhejiang province have provided an answer. Over the past two years, archaeologists have identified what is believed to be the core area of the capital of the Yue vassal state, a breakthrough that fills a gap in the study of Yue archaeology.

In Yuecheng district of Shaoxing, within the grounds of Jishan High School, the Jizhong site was discovered in 2023 during a school renovation. Subsequent excavations spanning 4,000 square meters have uncovered a complex of palace-platform buildings from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 BC) associated with the Yue state, as well as administrative structures from the Han (206 BC-AD 220) and Six Dynasties (222-589) periods.

It is the first time such architectural features have been confirmed within the boundaries of Shaoxing's ancient city.

Buried 5 to 6 meters deep, the Yueera foundations reveal a "raft-style" wooden structure, with timbers arranged in multiple layers crosswise and packed with earth, which archaeologists describe as "unprecedented" in the wetland environment of the southern part of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

Two rows of five large base platforms, each approximately 1.8 meters long, 1.1 meters wide, and 0.15 meters thick, with diagonal holes at the four corners, have also been discovered. Square wooden pillars, each 20 centimeters on each side, once stood atop these platforms.

Historical texts describe how Goujian's capital was constructed under the guidance of his chief adviser and strategist, Fan Li. He is said to have overseen the building of both an inner "small city" for royal functions and a larger outer city. The outer city came to be known as Li City, in recognition of his role.

"Within the small city, he built the palace for Goujian's court activities," explains Li Longbin, director of the Shaoxing Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.

Further evidence emerged just 400 meters away at the Tashan Hechangfang site, located on the southern slope of Tashan Hill. Excavations covering 3,600 square meters have revealed a section of the Eastern Zhou palace city wall, the innermost defensive structure surrounding the royal precinct, along with high-level ceremonial remains.

The wall's foundation consists of four to five layers of north-south-aligned timbers laid in a trench filled with earth and stone, capped with rammed earth.