Nihewan Ruins demonstrates over one million years of human history in China

North China's Nihewan Ruins, known as the hometown of the oriental human beings, has demonstrated over one million years of human history in China.

Located in Shanxi Province and Hebei Province, the Nihewan Ruins has more than 400 archaeological sites scattered on a 9,000 square kilometers area, forming a complete stratigraphic sequence spanning from two million to 10,000 years ago and building up a complete chain of evidence for the independent evolution and development of ancient human beings in East Asia.

From the control of fires by homo erectus, the budding of art in early Homo sapiens, to the beginnings of complex societies in homo sapiens, this area has preserved the complete chronology of the development of human intelligence.

First discovered in the 1920s, the area has seen the excavation of a large number of paleolithic relics dating back about two million years.

In 2018, more than 20 fossilized mammoth footprints dating back around 1.6 million years were found alongside dozens of stone tools and animal fossils at the Nihewan ruins area.

In 2024, an international research team led by Chinese scientists found that East Asian hominins had possessed advanced stone tool technology as early as 1.1 million years ago, much earlier than previously thought.

Recently, a batch of stone tools and paleontological fossils were sent to the Natural History Museum of China to meet the public.

A model of the third layer of the Majuangou site at the exhibition showcased a scene of humans dining more than 1.6 million years.

"These gray items are pieces of steppe mammoth skeletons, and scattered among them are many stone tools including lithic cores, lithic flakes and scrapers. One of the scrapers was still in close contact with animal fossils when unearthed," said Wei Yi, an associate researcher at the Natural History Museum of China.

"We also found very clear signs of slashing and cutting on many skeleton fossils, indicating that ancient humans probably made stone tools at this site, and then used the tools to dismember, cut and eat steppe mammoths. We call this the first meal of the oriental humans, about 1.66 million years ago," she added.

After many years of archaeological excavations, the seventh cultural layer has been identified at the Majuangou site. Its geological age is the early Pleistocene, and its cultural age is the early Old Stone Age.

According to paleomagnetic dating results, the ages from the third to the seventh cultural layer are 1.66, 1.69, 1.74, 1.75 and 1.76 million years, respectively, which is the clear evidence of the earliest human emergence in the Nihewan basin and even the high latitude region of the entire Northeast Asia.

The newly discovered braised soil area at the Majuangou site has aroused great attention in the academic community. This discovery may move the time for oriental humans to master controlled fire to a stage comparable to that of early Homo sapiens in Africa.

Nihewan Ruins demonstrates over one million years of human history in China

A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.

Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.

In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.

"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.

Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.

In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.

"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.

By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.

After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.

"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.

Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.

As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.

Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media