Historical Studies (Chinese Edition)

No.5, 2015

The “Taishan Hunting Grounds” and the Geography of the Eastern Lands in the Late Shang Dynasty: Investigating the Location of “Yu” and “Beng” in the Hunting Grounds Oracle Inscriptions

(Abstract)

Chen Jie and Zhao Qingmiao

Two place names, “Yu (盂)” and “Beng (),” seen on the oracle inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty, should refer to the “land of Guiyin” upstream of the River Wen and the “land of Wenyang” downstream of the River Wen respectively. Hunting grounds or way stations like Shang, Sang, Yu and Gong, which were connected with Yu and Beng, were also located in the east of the Central Plains. The late Shang hunting grounds seem to have been around the Taishan Mountain, whence the name Taishan Hunting Grounds. Moreover, the Yu mentioned in the Zuo Zhuan when Kuai Kui presents “Yu to Qi,” and the Yu hunting grounds in the oracle inscriptions are the same place that was included under the “land of Guiyin.” Yu was given to Qi by Wei because it was close to Qi. Zheng State’s “祊（Beng）, near Taishan Mountain” probably refers to the Beng in the oracle inscriptions, which was located on the north bank downstream of the River Wen. As for the Yu that was presented to Duke of  Zhao of the early Zhou Dynasty, like Yu and Beng, it was a place of purification at the foot of Taishan Mountain, where the feudal lords assisted in the Zhou kings sacrifice to the mountain. The horses and carriages usually traveled at a speed of around 40 kilometers per day. Therefore, the statement made in the Warring States and the Qin and Han dynasties that the “army travelled 30 li a day” cannot be used in geographical research on the Shang and Zhou dynasties.