Three-Star Piles refer to three earth mounds at the site. The Relic area stretches for about 12 square kilometers (about 4.6 square miles), which is the largest, oldest, and most connotational Shu cultural relic in Sichuan. It is said that the Heavenly Emperor cast down three handfuls of earth which fell near the Jian River and became three earth mounds on Chengdu Plain. The three earth piles, described as three golden stars in a line, hence became known as Three-Star Piles. Now affirmed by modern archaeology, the three earth mounds are in reality the southern wall of an ancient city that was built of earth. There are two breaches in the city wall, after the collapse and subsequent erosion; it became the three mounds we see today.
– See more at: https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/sichuan/chengdu/sanxingdui.htm
