Ideally located in the heart of historic northwest Chengdu lies a prolific theme park like museum which is fast gaining popularity as one of Wuxi’s most frequented attractions. Dubbed the Jinsha Site Museum after the locale in which the greatest archaeological finds in China were discovered, this 74-acre institution houses the most important national archaeological discoveries in the 21st century.
Having opened its gates to the public in 2006, this illustrious museum cum conservation centre has developed into the country’s best authority on the Jinsha culture which inhabited the region nearly 3000 years ago. Excavated as recently as 2001, the Jinsha Site has proved to be the greatest discovery of relics belonging to the Kingdom of Shu. With literally thousands upon thousands of jade items and gold plates as well as stone, ivory and bronze articles to its name, the Jinsha site was nothing short of a treasure trove of ancient artefacts for all historians and archaeologists in the country.
Built in close proximity of the excavation locale the Jinsha Site Museum houses the newly discovered relics of the glorious Jinsha period in five separate departments. Divided into the Exhibition Hall, Relic Hall, Garden District, Protection Centre of Cultural Relics and the Tourist Receiving Centre, the museum also enjoys the status of being the most expansive museum in all of Sichuan province.
The highlights of any visit to the venue include viewing its extensive collections of jade ware which numbers in the 2000s. These include jade bracelets, axes and tablets while knives, swords and spears are also prominently displayed. The ruins of the Shu Kingdom capital also produced almost 200 gold relics which included golden belts, masks and boxes as well as glittering shapes of horns, frogs and fish all composed of the precious metal. The renowned ‘ Divine Bird’ golden disc is also available for viewing at the site; its significance to ancient Chinese culture and mythologies surrounding the God of the Sun is well documented.
Ivory appears to have also played a central role in the lives of the Jinsha people as the Jinsha site unearthed more ivory pieces than any other excavation site belonging to the same period on the globe. Several hundred exquisite ivory pieces occupy the museum display cases which include ivory beads and machine fashioned pieces in the shape of strips and cylinders.
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