Ba Kingdom

Introduction of Ba Kingdom

Ba Kingdom was an ancient state in eastern Sichuan, China. Its original capital was Yicheng (Enshi City), Hubei. Ba was conquered by Qin in 316 BC. The modern ethnic minority Tujia people trace their origins back to the Ba people.

Ba Kingdom, often described as a loose confederation or a collection of chiefdoms, consisted of several loosely-affiliated independent clans who recognised a king. The Ba Kingdom clans were highly diverse, being composed of multiple ethnicities. Archaeological evidence shows that the people of Ba Kingdom relied mainly on fishing and hunting, with low levels of agriculture (no evidence of irrigation).

Ba Kingdom's territory originally included areas in the Han River valley; the ascendance of Chu pushed Ba westwards and further into the Sichuan basin. Chu expansion forced Ba Kingdom to move its capital several times. According to Chang Qu, capitals or administrative centers of Ba Kingdom included Jiangzhou (Chongqing), Dianjiang (Hechuan), and Pingdu (Fengdu), with its final capital at Langzhong. During the Warring States Period, Qin, Chu and Shu, all more powerful states, shared a common border with Ba Kingdom.

Ba Kingdom Culture

The tiger was an important part of Ba mythology, with the white tiger being held in highest esteem. Artifacts from Ba Kingdom archaeological sites often employ tiger motifs. Other distinctive features of Ba Kingdom culture include its distinctive curved blades, boat-shaped coffin burials and Ba-style bronze drums, which were used to communicate in battle.

Warfare played an important role in Ba Kingdom's society. The people of Ba Kingdom were famous for their war songs and dances. Their warriors were often employed as mercenaries by other states, and weapons were prevalent in Ba grave goods.

Ba and Shu developed their own writing systems, found on bronzeware. There are three scripts. One pictographic script was unique to Ba, and two (possibly phonetic) scripts were found at Ba and Shu sites. All three scripts remain undecipherable today. As in other ancient areas of China, they made beautiful bronze dings or sacrificial tripods sometimes with writing on them.

Baguo City

Ba Kingdom Culture is the source of Chongqing Culture. In order to trace back to the origin of Ba Kingdom Culture and promote the spirit of Ba Kingdom Culture, Chongqing government established a cultural tourist resort which combines culture, ecology, travel, business and entertainment. It is Baguo City.

Baguo City is a theme park which presents the history and culture of Ba Kingdom, covering an area of 120 thousand square meters. There are a lot of cultural statues and sculptures. The entire architectural style resembles ancient Ba Kingdom.