Archaeologists find first Sui Dynasty Great Wall remains in Beijing
The discovery of a 1,400-year-old military outpost and 1,800-year-old wooden boats provides new insights into ancient northern China.
Archaeologists have discovered the first confirmed remains of a Sui Dynasty section of the Great Wall in Beijing, according to the Times of India. The excavation took place at the Dalinggou site in the Changping district between August and October 2026.
The team from the Beijing Institute of Archaeology uncovered a military outpost featuring a northern wall made of stones and loess. This site, previously thought to belong only to the Northern Qi Dynasty, shows evidence of use during the Sui Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty.
More than 60 artefacts were recovered, including weapons, pottery, porcelain, and a Sui-era wuzhu bronze coin. Shang Heng, an archaeologist at the Beijing Institute of Archaeology, said the find is the first of its kind in the Beijing area and will help study the early Great Wall's defence system.
In the Fengtai district, researchers also found three wooden boats buried seven metres underground in an old river channel. Known as Yongding River No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3, these vessels date back approximately 1,800 years to the Han and Jin dynasties.
These boats are described as the largest and most structurally complete inland waterway vessels of their time found in northern China. One boat features the Chinese character 'guan', which means official.
