The “Hong Kong Media Sichuan-Chongqing Tour: Tale of Two Thriving Cities” continued in Sichuan, with the delegation visiting the Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum to explore precious artifacts from the ancient Shu Kingdom, dating back about 3,200 years, and to understand China’s “diverse yet unified” civilization.
Ruins Hall of the Jinsha Site Museum. Photo by Bastillepost.
By Bastillepost.
Excavated gold artifacts. Photo by Bastillepost.
Discovered in February 2001 in downtown Chengdu, the Jinsha Site, active from the 12th to 7th centuries BCE (approximately 3,200 to 2,600 years ago), was the capital of the ancient Shu Kingdom, a key center of upper Yangtze civilization. Following the Sanxingdui discovery, Jinsha is another major archaeological find in Sichuan, earning a spot on China’s World Cultural Heritage Tentative List.
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Ruins Hall of the Jinsha Site Museum. Photo by Bastillepost.
By Bastillepost.
Excavated gold artifacts. Photo by Bastillepost.
Excavated bronze artifacts. Photo by Bastillepost.
Excavated skeletal remains. Photo by Bastillepost.
Bronze standing figure. Photo by Bastillepost.
Excavated ivory. Photo by Bastillepost.
Excavated tortoise shell. Photo by Bastillepost.
Gold Sun and Immortal Bird ornament. Photo by Bastillepost.
Shang and Zhou Dynasty large gold mask. Photo by Bastillepost.
Yao Kai, a docent at the Jinsha Site Museum. Photo by Bastillepost.
By Bastillepost.
The Jinsha Site has yielded tons of ivory. Photo by Bastillepost.
Large tree root remains. Photo by Bastillepost.
The Jinsha Site has yielded tons of ivory. Photo by Bastillepost.
The site has uncovered significant remains, including large building foundations, sacrificial areas, residential zones, and a major cemetery. Excavations yielded gold, bronze, jade, stone, ivory, and lacquer artifacts, alongside tens of thousands of pottery shards, tons of ivory, and thousands of boar tusks and deer antlers. Jinsha is globally unmatched for its abundance of gold, jade, and ivory finds. The “Sun and Immortal Birds” gold ornament from Jinsha was designated as China’s cultural heritage emblem and Chengdu’s city logo.
Excavated bronze artifacts. Photo by Bastillepost.
Excavated skeletal remains. Photo by Bastillepost.
Bronze standing figure. Photo by Bastillepost.
Excavated ivory. Photo by Bastillepost.
Archaeologists believe Jinsha likely emerged as a political, economic, and cultural hub in the Chengdu Plain after Sanxingdui’s decline, serving as the Shu Kingdom’s capital during the late Shang to Western Zhou periods. It ranks among China’s most significant pre-Qin sites. The museum highlights that Jinsha and Sanxingdui together confirm the Chengdu Plain as the cradle of upper Yangtze civilization, a vital part of Chinese civilization, supporting the “diverse yet unified” origin theory.
Excavated tortoise shell. Photo by Bastillepost.
Gold Sun and Immortal Bird ornament. Photo by Bastillepost.
Shang and Zhou Dynasty large gold mask. Photo by Bastillepost.
Museum guide Yao Kai explained to the delegation that this theory is accurate and credible. He cited jade ritual tablets (yuzhang) found at Jinsha, noting their origins in late Neolithic Shandong, spreading to the Chengdu Plain and later the Yangtze River basin, including Hong Kong. A 1995 discovery of a jade tablet at Hong Kong’s Lamma Island Dawan Village site shows Hong Kong was never a cultural desert, with ties to mainland Chinese civilization in the Shang Dynasty, underscoring China’s diverse unity.
Yao Kai, a docent at the Jinsha Site Museum. Photo by Bastillepost.
By Bastillepost.
The Jinsha Site unearthed tens of thousands of pottery shards, tons of ivory, and thousands of boar tusks and deer antlers, with an unprecedented volume of ivory artifacts, making it one of the world’s densest ivory sites. Due to the large size and quantity, preservation poses technical challenges. The museum uses in-situ reburial to protect ivory in its original environment, avoiding damage from immature techniques. Currently, high-polymer silicone sealing yields good results, with ongoing research into advanced preservation methods.
The Jinsha Site has yielded tons of ivory. Photo by Bastillepost.
Large tree root remains. Photo by Bastillepost.
The Jinsha Site has yielded tons of ivory. Photo by Bastillepost.
The museum’s two main structures—Relics Hall and Exhibition Hall—sit on opposite banks of the Modao River, one circular, one square, blending strength and softness, forming a key Chengdu landmark. The Relics Hall, south of the river, is a sloping, semicircular steel-frame structure spanning 7,588 square meters. The Exhibition Hall, north of the river, is a sloping, square steel-frame building covering 16,000 square meters. Its core exhibit, “Entering Jinsha,” comprises five halls: “Ancient Homeland,” “Kingdom Silhouette,” “Enduring Heaven and Earth,” “Timeless Treasures,” and “Decoding Jinsha,” showcasing major relics and artifacts.
As a national AAAA scenic spot and first-class museum, Jinsha has welcomed over 12.73 million domestic and international visitors since opening in 2007.
