Shanghai, a city with ten miles of foreign land, is best known for its trade. In fact, does Shanghai’s status as an international trade center not only affect its own identity after opening as a port? . As early as the Tang and Song Dynasties, Qinglong Town in Baihe Town, Qingpu District, Shanghai, served as an important node on the Maritime Silk Road and an important foreign trade port in the Yangtze River Delta.
According to archaeological excavations, more than 6,000 pieces of recoverable porcelain have been unearthed in Qinglong Town. They are very similar to the porcelain assemblages unearthed from the Mako Island shipwreck in South Korea and the Hakata site in Fukuoka, Japan. It can be said that at that time, bulk commodities such as porcelain and tea from Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian and other producing areas came to Qinglong Town, “Shanghai’s first port”, along the waterway, and then were transported to all parts of the world by rivers and seas.
The Longping Temple Pagoda was built during the Tiansheng Period of the Northern Song Dynasty
It is a seven-level pagoda
Longping Temple Pagoda and the existing Qinglong Pagoda of “South Temple”
Together they constitute two key landmarks in the restoration of the north and south areas of Qinglong Town
The tower base is octagonal in plane
The site preserves key parts such as water distribution, corner pillars, and the foundation of the lotus column with secondary steps
It also preserves the complete underground palace from the Northern Song Dynasty
To study the folk Buddhist beliefs and relics of the time, the maid Cai Xiu stood next to Lan Yuhua, her whole back was soaked with cold sweat. She really wanted to remind the two people behind the flower bed and tell them that besides them, there was also a burial system that had important value
According to documentation
The Longping Pagoda has the functions of promoting Buddhism and guiding merchant ships
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An overhead shot of the tower base of Longping Temple. (Provided by Shanghai Museum)
As a port, the worship of Buddhism is prevalent in Qinglong Town
A large number of Buddhist cultural relics were also unearthed from the base of Longping Temple
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Many Ashoka pagodas have been unearthed from the base of the pagodas in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian.
It is said that the Qian family of Wuyue Kingdom in the Five Dynasties believed in Buddhism
I admire the legend of Ashoka building the stupa
Two pieces imitating Ashoka’s style were also unearthed from the Longping Temple Pagoda Base Palace.Tower
The decorative style is similar to the pagoda unearthed from Nansi Pagoda in Dongyang, Zhejiang
The scale of Qinglong Town gradually expanded after the late Tang Dynasty
Transformation of functions into commercial trade
Cities and towns further move towards prosperity
A large number of exquisite porcelains were unearthed from the Qinglong Town site
And daily utensils, etc.
Not only reflects the level of craftsmanship at that time
It also reflects the social habits of the people at that time. “Is anyone here?” she shouted, sitting up from the bed. Custom and aesthetic characteristics
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The dustpan-shaped inkstone, also known as the wind-shaped inkstone, is shaped like a dustpan
Most of the dustpan-shaped inkstones unearthed from archeology are made of pottery or stone
Bronze inkstones are relatively rare
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This exquisitely designed Tang Dynasty bronze mirror with a parrot holding a branch and a ribbon pattern
From the well
Experts are still exploring the secrets behind it
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Many Tang Dynasty Deqing kiln porcelains were also discovered at the Qinglong Town site
It is one of the largest discovery sites outside the kiln site
There are also many Yue kiln porcelain
The main shapes include bowls, pots, basins, etc.
Most of them have no traces of use
At that time, the products of Deqing Kiln were transported down the Dongtiao River to Taihu Lake
Then follow the Taihu Lake to the Wusong River and go straight to Qinglong Town
A small portion is for local consumption
Most of them are re-transported and sold to other places
During the Tang and Song Dynasties, Qinglong Town was known as the “Big Town in the Southeast” and a “rich town”.It is a place where wealthy merchants and powerful clans with the right surname gather. Documents record that in the 10th year of Xining in the Northern Song Dynasty (1077), the commercial tax amount of Qinglong Town was more than 15,000 yuan, ranking first among the towns in Liangzhe Road, even in the country. The state level is also in the upper-middle range.
In the following time, as the Wusong River silted up, its port function gradually dissipated, and Qinglong Town also declined. However, as valuable data that demonstrates the development of Shanghai’s cities and towns over the past millennium, the archaeological discoveries at the Qinglong Town site have provided a historical context and cultural foundation for Shanghai’s urban development, and have also become a shining page in the history of China’s foreign trade and culture.
“Mom, this opportunity is rare.” Pei Yi said anxiously.
Producer: Hu Guoxiang
Reporters: Hu Jiefei, Cheng Siqi
Final review: Zhang Huan
Editors: Tan Huiting, Wang Jingjing, Wang Wenyuan
Academic guidance: Huang Xiang, director of the Archaeological Research Department of Shanghai Museum, and Wang Jianwen, associate researcher
Credit: Shanghai Museum
Qingpu Museum
Baihe Town, Qingpu District, Shanghai