Sanxingdui Museum

Nestled along the banks of the Yazi River in Guanghan, Sichuan Province, the Sanxingdui Museum stands as a testament to China's rich cultural heritage. This modern, specialized site museum, one of the country's first national first-class museums and national AAAA-level tourist attractions, has captivated visitors with its extraordinary collection of artifacts and the remarkable story they tell about the ancient Shu Kingdom.

Dreaming of the CenturyThe Sanxingdui site has been a source of fascination for archaeologists and historians alike, with the first significant discoveries made in the 1920s and 1930s. Over the decades, systematic excavations and research have gradually revealed the site's true significance, leading to the coining of the term "Sanxingdui Culture" in the 1980s. The groundbreaking discovery of two sacrificial pits in 1986 "shocked the world," as the unearthed artifacts shed new light on the advanced civilization that once thrived in this region. As the archaeological work progressed, the layout of the ancient city of Sanxingdui began to emerge, with the discovery of city walls and large-scale building foundations providing a glimpse into the grandeur of this forgotten civilization.

The Majestic Capital CityThe Sanxingdui site had developed into a central settlement by the late Neolithic period, and by the early Shang Dynasty, the city had taken shape, with impressive city walls and large-scale buildings. By the mid-Shang Dynasty, the city site covered an area of 3.6 square kilometers, showcasing the remarkable progress and sophistication of the ancient Shu people. The site's highly developed industries, including bronze casting, gold processing, jade carving, and silk weaving, along with its complex social structure and mature ritual system, highlight its unique status as a political, religious, and economic center, possibly serving as the capital of a Shu king during a certain dynasty.

Heaven, Earth, and HumanityThe exquisitely crafted artifacts discovered at the Sanxingdui site provide a window into the spiritual world of the ancient Shu people. From jade artifacts honoring heaven and earth to uniquely shaped altars, masks with piercing eyes, deities blending human and bird forms, phoenixes spreading their wings, and sacred trees reaching from earth to heaven, these artifacts reflect the ancient Shu people's profound reverence for the natural world and their extraordinary creativity. The latest artifacts unearthed from the sacrificial pits, including the national treasure-level jade cong with tree patterns and the complete gold mask, have further captivated visitors and scholars alike, offering a deeper understanding of the ancient Shu civilization.

Preserving the Past, Inspiring the FutureThe Sanxingdui Museum plays a crucial role in the preservation and study of these invaluable artifacts, housing and displaying over a thousand precious items excavated from the Sanxingdui site and the Shang Dynasty sacrificial pits. The establishment of the museum has led to a reevaluation of the Ba-Shu culture, challenging the previously held notion that the region was isolated and had little connection to the Central Plains civilization. The Sanxingdui site and its artifacts have demonstrated that the ancient Shu Kingdom was an important cultural center during the Xia and Shang dynasties, and possibly even earlier, with connections to the Central Plains culture.The Sanxingdui Museum's impact extends beyond the preservation of artifacts; it has also played a pivotal role in reshaping our understanding of Chinese history. Previously, the cradle of the Chinese nation was believed to be the Yellow River basin, but the discovery of Sanxingdui has pushed the history of the ancient Shu Kingdom back to 5,000 years ago, proving that the Yangtze River basin region was also a cradle of the Chinese nation, harboring an ancient civilization no less advanced than that of the Yellow River basin.As the Sanxingdui Museum continues to captivate visitors and scholars alike, it stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of the ancient Shu people, inspiring a deeper appreciation for the rich cultural tapestry that has shaped the history of China.