SHANXI,12th November, 2024 (WAM) -- A newly built museum has opened to the public at the 4,300-year-old Taosi relics site in north China's Shanxi Province, with exhibits that shed light on the life and culture of ancient inhabitants.
According to China Central Television (CCTV), the Taosi site, situated in Linfen City, Shanxi Province, is thought to be the remains of the capital city from the era of the legendary emperors Yao and Shun, dating back over 4,100 years. The Yaodu district in Linfen is also the location of the temple and mausoleum dedicated to Emperor Yao.
Covering an area of 2.8 million square meters, the Taosi site has seen an excavation of about 30,000 square meters since 1978.
The Taosi culture emerged in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, succeeding the Liangzhu culture in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Both sites provide significant clues to the study of early states and the origins of the 5,000-year-long Chinese civilization.
Covering an area of about 5,000 square meters, the Taosi Site Museum showcases 230 artifacts, including pottery, bronze ware, wooden artifacts, jade ceremonial objects, and various other types of utensils, representing all categories of cultural relics from the Taosi site.
One of the notable exhibits displays a Taosi dragon-patterned colored pottery plate, a valuable artifact crucial in studying the origins and related aspects of dragon worship in the Central Plains region.
In addition, the Taosi site has also unearthed 29 musical instruments including drums, stone chimes, and pottery bells, many of which were exclusive funerary items reserved for nobility.