Re-Inspection of the Location of Ancient Taoyang City and Taozhou City of Sui and Tang Dynasties
Ancient Taoyang City which was first recorded in the Eastern Han Dynasty,had been used during the Three Kingdoms,sixteen States and the Northern Dynasties,and it also was the seat of Taozhou City in Northern Zhou,Sui and Tang Dynasties.The Epitaph of Tang Hebaliang and related Tang poems provide important clues for locating the site of Taoyang City.The town of Yaotou village,Taobin town,Lintan County today was supposed to be the northern stronghold of the entire ancient Taoyang city.The core or the military and civil administration office of the ancient city should be built on the river beach,where the present Xia Yaotou village is located and on the platforms near the village.The location was consistent with the relevant documents of Taoyang City in the past dynasties,the traffic situation,and the process of managing Tao-min area from the Northern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties.The historical materials about Shibao City and Shence Army came from the archives or records of different periods,and later historians wrongly recorded the two places as one because they did not know the history before and after.Identifying the location of Taoyang City and Shence Army in Sui and Tang Dynasties is of great benefit to understanding the deployment of military defense,traffic routes and passes in Tao-min area in the Tang Dynasty.
Taoyang cityTaozhou cityThe Epitaph of Tang HebaliangTao city of Taobin town