遗址

• Pinyin: yí zhǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 遗 = 辶 + 贵 (movement + precious — left behind from the past); 址 = 土 + 止 (earth/ground + foot/stop — the ground, a fixed location)

Meaning

Historical site; ruins; the remains of an ancient or destroyed settlement, building, or civilisation.

Used for archaeological and historical sites where structures once stood. Broader than 废墟 (ruins — more physical destruction) and 古迹 (historical monuments/sites — implies some preservation). 遗址 emphasises the location and its historical significance even when little physical structure remains. Common in archaeology reports, tourism, and cultural heritage discourse.

Examples

1. 考古队在这片遗址中发掘出距今约五千年的陶器碎片与人骨，证实该地区曾存在一处规模可观的新石器时代聚落。 At this site, the archaeological team unearthed pottery fragments and human bones dating back about five thousand years, confirming that a sizable Neolithic settlement once existed in the area.
2. 这处圆明园遗址如今已成为爱国主义教育基地，残存的石柱和拱门无声地诉说着那段屈辱的近代历史。 The ruins of the Old Summer Palace have now become a base for patriotic education; the remaining stone columns and arches silently tell the story of that humiliating chapter of modern history.
3. 联合国教科文组织将这处古城遗址列入世界文化遗产名录，同时拨款资助其保护与修缮工作。 UNESCO added these ancient city ruins to the World Cultural Heritage list and also provided funding to support their protection and restoration.

Usage Guide

Context: archaeology, tourism, history, cultural heritage

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 此次田野调查共记录遗址三十七处，其中十二处经初步判断具有重要的历史与学术研究价值，将被列入下一阶段系统发掘计划的优先候选名单。(This field survey recorded a total of thirty-seven historical sites; of these, twelve were preliminarily judged to have significant historical and academic research value and will be included in the priority candidate list for the next phase of systematic excavation planning.)
• 保护文化遗址不仅是守护历史记忆，也是城市可持续发展的重要一环，因为它们一旦毁坏就无法复原。(Protecting cultural relic sites is not only about preserving historical memory, but also an important part of urban sustainable development, because once they are destroyed, they cannot be restored.)

Don't Say

• 那栋拆掉的楼是遗址 — 遗址 refers to historically or archaeologically significant sites; a recently demolished building is simply 旧址 or 拆迁现场, not 遗址

Origin & History

遗 (left behind from the past) + 址 (site/location — 土 earth/ground + 止 stop/foot, the ground on which one stands)

Cultural Context

Era: Classical/Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal