Fenghao

Fenghao is the modern name for the twin city comprising Feng and Hao, the capitals of the Chinese Western Zhou dynasty (c. 1046 – 771 BCE). The cities were located on opposite banks of the Feng River near its confluence with the Wei in an area now part of Xi'an, Shaanxi.

Fenghao

Location in northern China
Location	China
Region	Shaanxi
Coordinates	34.21°N 108.72°E / 34.21; 108.72
History
Founded	c. 1051 BC
Abandoned	771 BC

Fenghao
Traditional Chinese	豐鎬 灃鎬
Simplified Chinese	丰镐 沣镐
Literal meaning	Feng & Hao
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Fēnghào Wade–Giles Fêng-hao
Feng
Traditional Chinese	豐 灃
Simplified Chinese	丰 沣
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Fēng Wade–Giles Fêng
Fengjing
Traditional Chinese	豐京 灃京
Simplified Chinese	丰京 沣京
Literal meaning	Lush or Great Capital Capital on the Feng
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Fēngjīng Wade–Giles Fêng-ching

History

Under the Shang, the predynastic Zhou capital was located on the Wei River below Mount Qi at a location variously described as Qishan, Qiyi, and Zhouyuan (now Qishan County). As Ji Chang (posthumously known as King Wen) expanded the territory of the predynastic Zhou east into Shanxi in the mid-11th century BC in preparation for an assault on his nominal Shang overlords, he constructed a new capital on the west bank of the Feng River about 100 kilometers (62 mi) downstream from Qiyi. This city was variously called Feng, Fengxi, or Fengjing.^[1] This relocation was said to have occurred in the year before Ji Chang's death and five years before the Battle of Muye, placing it c. 1051 BC by current estimates.

After his son Fa (posthumously known as King Wu) defeated the Shang at Muye and formally established the Zhou dynasty, the capital was moved to the east bank of the river at a site called Hao or Haojing.^[2] The two cities formed a twin capital, with Feng continuing to serve the rituals of the Zhou ancestral shrine and gardens^{[clarification needed]} and Hao containing the royal palace and government administration.

Both were abandoned in 771 BC during the Quanrong invasion that drove the Zhou out of the Wei River Valley and brought an end to its Western dynasty. The capital of the Eastern Zhou was located at Chengzhou within present-day Luoyang.

Ruins

The ruins of Fenghao lie in present-day southwest Xi'an in Shaanxi Province.^[3][4] The site was declared an important national cultural heritage site by the State Council of the People's Republic of China in 1961.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Historical capitals of China