The Deer Terrace Pavilion was a structure believed to have been built during the Shang dynasty. Its location was believed to be in Zhaoge (near the present-day Jinniuling mountain ridge in Qi County, Hebi).
It was the site of a very luxurious pool, named the "Lake of Wine and Forest of Meat" . Meat would be hung alongside the pool, which would be filled with wine for the personal pleasure of King Zhou of Shang. The phrase Chinese: 酒池肉林 (Jiǔchí Ròulín) is now a Chinese idiom for excessive extravagance and debauchery.[1]
In 1999, the pool was uncovered in an archaeological survey and was found to be 130m (430feet) long, 20m (70feet) wide, and 1.5m (04.9feet) deep. Contemporary water wells were also found close to the pool, leading archaeologists to conclude that its primary function was not to supply groundwater to the pavilion.[2]
On 20 January 1046 BC, King Wu of Zhou launched a violent attack on the Shang capital, Zhaoge, as part of the Battle of Muye.[3] Zhou quickly defeated Shang, and the last king of Shang, King Zhou, retreated to the pavilion and set it on fire, burning it and himself along with his jewels as the result of the defeat.[4] This event marked the end of the Shang dynasty and the beginning of the Zhou dynasty. The charred remains of the pavilion have yet to be identified.[5]