Sanxingdui Ruins

Sanxingdui Ruins, located in the city of Guanghan, 40 km from Chengdu, Sichuan Province, is recognized as one of the most important ancient remains in the world for its vast size, lengthy period and enriched cultural contents.

The first Sanxingdui relics were discovered by a farmer in 1929 and excavation has continued ever since. During this period, generations of archaeologists have worked on the discovery and research of the Sanxingdui culture. In 1986, two major sacrificial pits were found and they aroused widespread academic attention around the world.

The Sanxingdui finds are exciting, but they remain enigmatic. No texts have been found, nor is there any mention of this culture in the records of other countries. Analysis of lead and other elements in the bronzes indicates sources similar to those of other cultures along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. At this point, however, the unique culture that produced these artifacts remains a mystery.

The Sanxingdui remains are composed of several large relic areas. These areas are the largest, most important and elegant ancient Shu cultural relics sites in Sichuan. The remains cover 12 square-km in total. The people settled here about 2,800 to 4,800 years ago, about the period of the late Neolithic Age.

The unique Sanxingdui Museum is located in the northeast of the Sanxingdui remains, near the Duck River. It is a museum equipped with modern facilities. Covering 200,000 square meters, the total investment has reached over 30 million yuan.

The whole design of the museum is simple, but with a solemn style. The flame is peculiar. The main object is a deformed spiral. It has the poetic charm with historical, geographical features and cultural art. It fully shows the broadness and profundity of Sanxingdui culture.

The first hall of the museum is composed of "three stars accompanying the moon", the splendid civilization of ancient Shu. Cultural relics showed in this hall systemically represent the excellent achievements in every field in its long history.

The second hall contains symbols of all kinds of gods reflecting the mysterious and primitive religion. Cultural relics showed in this hall tell people about the political structure and social relations of ancient Shu, as well as the idea of ancient people.

The third hall is composed of "forever the soul of Shu", the special cream of relics. Here are shown over 10 groups of national treasures with historical and artistic value.

The fourth hall with the scheme of "forever Sanxingdui" shows off the excavations and studies of Sanxingdui. It introduces the industrious work of generations of experts both at home and abroad in the past 50 years. It represents the great effect of Sanxingdui and the important role it plays in academic circles.

The designs of Sanxingdui Museum have many architectural breakthroughs. Modern technologies (sound, light, and electricity) are used to show the charm of the ancient site. The displays also provide foreigners with information about the history of China.