Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of a palace of the Han Dynasty (BC206-220AD) and a number of relics in a construction site in downtown Xuzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province. The palace ruins are believed to be a palace of the Chu State during the Han Dynasty period.

　　This proves that Xuzhou was built at the earliest in BC200.

　　Ruins of a city wall built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) have been unearthed earlier in the same place.

　　A large number of building materials and cooking utensils, such as floor bricks, tiles and pottery, have been excavated. They were buried five meters beneath the city wall of the Ming Dynasty.

　　According to historical records, the earliest record of Xuzhou dates back to BC573.

　　The tiles and building decorations not only help people appreciate the architectural styles of the Han Dynasty, but also prove Xuzhou's early history.

(People's Daily 12/07/2000)