Zhengzhou Shang Dynasty Capital City Ruins officially joined IAWCA

On March 14th, the reporter learned from the Bureau of Culture, Tourism and Sports of the Zhengzhou Guancheng Hui District that the Zhengzhou Shang Dynasty Capital City Ruins has recently officially joined the International Ancient Wall and Castles Alliance (IAWCA).

3月14日，记者从郑州市管城回族区文化旅游体育局获悉，郑州商城已于近日正式加入国际古城墙（堡）联盟。

The International Ancient Wall and Castles Alliance is a non-governmental organization jointly initiated by Xi 'an City Wall of China, the Ancient City Wall City Alliance of Veneto Region of Italy, and the City Wall Management Authority of York city of England. The purpose of the alliance is to strengthen the protection and utilization, tourism and management of ancient city walls worldwide, and to promote cultural exchanges and cooperation between the city wall management institutions and individuals internationally.

国际古城墙（堡）联盟是世界城地组织亚太区旅游委员会的下设机构，由中国西安城墙管委会、意大利威内托大区古城墙城市联盟、英国约克市城墙管理机构共同发起，旨在加强全球范围内古城墙（堡）的保护与利用、旅游与管理，促进城墙（堡）管理机构与个人及国际之间的文化交流合作。

It is reported that the alliance currently boasts 18 member organizations from China, Italy, Britain and Malaysia. Among them, Xi’an City Wall, Kaifeng City Wall, Jingzhou City Wall, Xiangyang City Wall, Nanjing City Wall, Suzhou City Wall, Datong City Wall and Guangzhou Yuexiu Park (where the Guangzhou Ming Dynasty City Wall is located) from China have already joined the alliance.

据介绍，该联盟目前已有包括中国、意大利、英国、马来西亚等国家的18个成员单位。我国的西安城墙、开封城墙、荆州城墙、襄阳城墙、南京城墙、苏州城墙、大同城墙、广州市越秀公园（广州明城墙所在地）等已在此前陆续加入。

The Zhengzhou Shang Dynasty Capital City Ruins, also known as the Bo Capital, is the capital city site of the early to middle Shang Dynasty. It witnessed the establishment of the monarchy system, the mature period of the Bronze Age, and is considered the birthplace of Chinese characters, providing important evidence for Zhengzhou being included in the "Eight Ancient Capitals" of China.

郑州商城是商代早中期的都城遗址，又称“亳都”，是商朝定都之地、王朝典制开创之地、青铜时代成熟之地、中华汉字寻根之地，为郑州入列中国“八大古都”提供了重要佐证。

The Ruins is divided into the palace area, the inner city and outer city, with the inner city wall being the most well-preserved. The layout of the inner city wall presents an irregular rectangle, with the northern wall approximately 1,690 meters long, the western wall about 1,870 meters long, and both the southern and eastern walls 1,700 meters long. The widths of the wall's bottom and top are about 20 meters and 5 meters respectively, and the reconstructed wall is about 10 meters high.

郑州商城分为宫殿区、内城和外郭城，尤以内城墙保存最为完整。内城墙平面呈不规则长方形，北墙长约1690米，西墙长约1870米，南墙和东墙长度均为1700米；城墙底宽20米左右，顶宽5米多，其高度复原后约10米。

Based on the significant archaeological discoveries at Zhengzhou Shang Dynasty Capital City Ruins, it was designated as one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units in 1961. In 2000, it served as evidence for the transition from the Xia to Shang dynasties in the Xia-Shang-Zhou Chronology Project. In 2001, it was rated as one of "China's Top 100 Archaeological Discoveries" in the 20th century, and in 2021, it was selected as one of “China's Top 100 Archaeological Discoveries of the Century."

基于郑州商城重要的考古发现，1961年郑州商城成为第一批全国重点文物保护单位，2000年夏商周断代工程将其作为夏商交替依据，2001年被列为“20世纪中国100项考古大发现”，2021年又入选全国“百年百大考古发现”。(中文来源/河南日报 记者/王延辉)