Sanxingdui Archaeological Museum

After visiting the Chengdu Giant Panda Base, I took a side trip to the Sanxingdui Museum. Sanxingdui is located in Guanghan City, but it's not far from Chengdu; it's just over forty minutes' drive from the Panda Base. Sanxingdui is the first museum I visited that charges an admission fee. Upon arriving at the entrance, many people were offering tour guide services, but it was unclear if they were official. Inside the museum, there were audio guides for rent. I rented one, but it didn't seem particularly useful. The treasures of the museum are the divine tree and the human figures. If you're quick, two to three hours is enough. If you want to take your time, you can plan for half a day.

Day1: 🏨Accommodation: Near Fuqin Metro Station, 20 minutes away from the city center, with a night market nearby offering plenty of cheap and delicious food Tour route: Panda Base p2👉Sanxingdui p3-4 Tips: These two places are quite far apart, especially Sanxingdui, which is in Guanghan City. There is a direct bus from the Panda Base to Sanxingdui costing 25 yuan, and also a direct bus back to Chunxi Road from Sanxingdui for 25 yuan Day2 Tour route: Have snacks at Yulin Market at noon👉Drink tea at People's Park in the afternoon p5👉Chunxi Road👉IFS p6👉Return to the hotel to get luggage👉Head to the high-speed train station for Chongqing at night Day3 🏨Accommodation: Near Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street Tour route: Jiefangbei👉Bayi Square👉Shibati👉Bai Xiang Street p7-9👉Walk along Binjiang Road to see the Yangtze River Bridge and cableway p10👉Chaotianmen Raffles City p11-12👉Hongya Cave p13-14👉Stay overnight at Golden Impression Tips: A day in Chongqing can be quite exhausting for the legs. This route essentially circles Yuzhong District, allowing you to cover the famous spots in one day without backtracking, and you can enjoy the night view at Hongya Cave in the evening Day4 Tour route: Liziba👉Airport to return Overall impression: People in Sichuan and Chongqing are so enthusiastic, I love it here! After spending a long time in fast-paced cities, I envy the relaxed vibe of the people in Sichuan and Chongqing! Different cities have different charms. While ticking off the sights on a commando-style tour, don't forget to take your time and enjoy the views. It's just that Chongqing is a bit tough on the legs. The mild spiciness of Sichuan and Chongqing is something to savor🤏

The Sanxingdui site, representing the ancient Shu civilization, is part of the cradle of Chinese civilization and is hailed as the 'source of the Yangtze River civilization'. The Sanxingdui site is located on the southern bank of the Yazi River in Guanghan, Sichuan, and its cultural aspects range from the Baodun culture, the Fish and Bird Phase III culture, the Sanxingdui culture, to the Shierqiao culture. There is not only the Cancong culture represented by the bronze figure with protruding eyes, characteristic of the gathering and hunting era, but also the Fish and Bird culture represented by the image of an osprey, typical of the fishing and hunting era, as well as the Du Yu culture of the agricultural era, represented by the image of a hawk-headed cuckoo. The gold artifacts of Sanxingdui, represented by gold staffs, gold masks, and gold face covers, display a gold craftsmanship that is astonishing. The phenomenon of a large number of ivory and seashells being buried together is very rare in the history of world bronze civilizations. The bronze human figures express different statuses and hierarchical power structures through their crowns, hairstyles, and clothing. Eventually, the secular royal power, represented by braided hair, replaced the divine authority represented by hairpins. The ancient Shu people worshipped the sun, moon, mountains, rivers, and believed in dragons, tigers, snakes, and birds, and revered their ancestral deities. Sun worship and sacred tree worship were at the core of the ancient Shu civilization's belief system. In mythology, the sacred trees were 'Fusang' in the east, 'Jianmu' in the center, and 'Ruomu' in the west. The sacred tree was a material carrier that embodied the ancient Shu's cosmological views, reflecting their concept of communicating between heaven and earth. The titles of the successive Shu kings throughout the ancient Shu kingdom were Cancong, Baiguan, Fish and Bird, Du Yu (the Watchful Emperor), and Bie Ling (the Enlightened King). After the Enlightened King succeeded Du Yu, the throne was passed down for 12 generations until 316 BC, when Qin conquered the Shu kingdom.

Preparation - Dress: Choose comfortable clothing and shoes for walking around the archaeological park. - Time arrangement: It is recommended to reserve at least half a day for the visit, and avoid public holidays to reduce the crowd. - Transportation: Departing from Chengdu, you can choose to drive yourself, charter a car, or join a tour group. - Tickets: Purchase tickets online in advance to avoid queuing on site. - Other: Carry identification documents, cash, credit cards, personal medicine, camera, and spare batteries. Tour Route 1. **Sanxingdui Museum**: First, visit the museum to understand the historical background of the Sanxingdui culture. 2. **Sanxingdui Site**: Then go to the site to inspect the ancient ruins. 3. **Sacrificial Pit**: Visit the sacrificial pit to observe the unearthed relics and sacrificial scenes. 4. **Bronze Mask Display Area**: Finally, visit the bronze mask display area to appreciate the exquisite bronzeware. Special Experiences - **Museum Interactive Experience**: Participate in the museum's interactive exhibitions to enhance understanding of the Sanxingdui culture. - **Archaeological Excavation Site**: If possible, visit the ongoing archaeological excavation site to understand the process of archaeological work. Food Recommendations - **Chengdu Snacks**: After the visit, you can taste authentic local foods such as hot pot🍲 and skewered delights in Chengdu. Tips - 🌞Sun protection: Bring a sun hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen to protect your skin from UV damage. - 📸Photography notice: Some areas inside the museum may prohibit photography, please comply with the relevant regulations. - 🚌Transportation tip: There is a direct bus to Sanxingdui from Chengdu's Xinnanmen Bus Station, or you can choose to drive or charter a car. Accommodation Recommendations - Book a hotel in Guanghan city center or Chengdu city center for convenience in returning the next day or traveling to other attractions. With the above guide, you can better plan your trip to Sanxingdui and delve into the charm of this ancient civilization.🏺✨

| Slumbering for thousands of years, its awakening shocks the world. Standing before the ancient Shu civilization, one can't help but feel a profound reverence for the gods of heaven and earth! Gazing into the past for thousands of years, it seems as if the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas' is indeed a splendid tale of immortality from ancient times~ After watching the Sanxingdui documentary at home with my brother for a while, and engaging in some amateur archaeology, our desire to explore Sanxingdui grew stronger! Finally, during the off-peak travel season in March, my brother and I scheduled a visit to Sanxingdui! . 📍 Sanxingdui Museum 🚄 If you're coming from out of town, take the high-speed train to Guanghan North Station (⚠️Do not go to Sanxingdui Station, as it's hard to get a taxi there, and it's far from the museum. Guanghan North Station is the closest.) 🚌 If departing from Chengdu, take the direct bus to Sanxingdui Museum from Chunxi Road, which takes about 1 hour. 🎫 Ticket: ¥72 (Remember to book in advance, tickets are released at 20:00 every day, and you can book 5 days ahead. ⚠️If you don't get a ticket, do not go to the venue, as there are no on-site ticket sales! Don't make a wasted trip.) ✅ Many of the guides at the museum entrance are not official, and I personally think most are not very professional. It's recommended to rent an audio guide or book an official tour! ✅ Visiting hours: Open all year round Exhibition Hall 8:30-18:00 (Entry stops at 17:00) Restoration Hall 9:00-17:00 . 2️⃣ Visiting Strategy The Sanxingdui culture, which 'slumbered for thousands of years and shocked the world upon awakening,' was first discovered in 1929. After nearly a century of excavation, restoration, and scientific research, a large new museum was finally opened in 2023, showcasing many astonishing artifacts that have been restored and brought before our eyes! ✅ Upon entering the exhibition hall, the new museum's theme 'Ancient City, Ancient State, Ancient Shu Culture' is divided into three main exhibition areas: 'Century of Dreams,' 'Majestic Capital,' and 'Heaven, Earth, and Divine Beings,' each with different exhibition units. ✅ 'Century of Dreams' and 'Majestic Capital' are on the first floor, while 'Heaven, Earth, and Divine Beings' is on the second floor. The new museum is about five times the size of the original and displays many more artifacts. In addition to the artifacts unearthed from Sacrificial Pits No. 1 and No. 2, the new round of archaeological excavations has brought forth over 1,500 artifacts for display, including pottery, bronzeware, jade, and gold items, which is more than three times the number of artifacts previously exhibited, with nearly 600 items being displayed for the first time. ✅ The new museum is notable for its use of many new technologies, such as AI algorithms for artifact restoration and naked-eye 3D reconstruction of archaeological 'pods,' making the exhibition experience richer and more immersive. ✅ The first floor is divided into 'Century of Dreams' and 'Majestic Capital' exhibition areas. It narrates the journey of Sanxingdui's archaeological excavations and interprets the natural environment, social landscape, urban layout, and power structure of the ancient Sanxingdui state from the perspective of civilization exploration. (The famous large standing bronze figure is located in this area) ✅ The second floor 'Heaven, Earth, and Divine Beings' exhibition area is a display zone for exquisite artifacts unearthed from the sacrificial area, focusing on important ritual vessels used by the ancient Shu people in sacrificial activities (mainly including the bronze sacred tree, human-faced bird body, vertical-eyed bronze figures, golden masks, etc.)

We booked for Monday, and when we were squeezed by a girl next to us, we heard her say: 'The experience is so poor!' Yes, although it is Monday, the flow of people is more than usual in the museum. After seeing the exhibits, we heard from the security staff that there were a lot fewer people than before. Even though there were many people, the exhibits were rich and we felt the trip was worthwhile. Just want to go back to Chunxi Road, originally wanted to take the tourist line, but it turned out to be a long queue Decided to take a taxi back for 50 per person

‼My Chengdu-Guanghan travel itinerary‼ ✅Day 1: Chengdu Chunxi Road - Sanxingdui Museum - Liu Douhua - Lou's Zhang Laolao - Xiong's Pochan Rabbit ✅Day 2: Luocheng - Fang Lake - Zhengyi Hanjin Noodles - Luocheng Night Market ✅Day 3: Longju Temple - Qingbaijiang Phoenix Lake ✅Day 4: Sanqing View - Chengxiang Ancient City - Peng Lao Liu Hot and Sour Noodles Today is the fourth day of the trip, and I'm still on the road. My route is slowly moving from Guanghan to Chengdu Chunxi Road. I'm making a guide for everyone on the road. You can refer to it. When I get home, I'll summarize the itinerary for these few days and make a complete travel guide😉 ---------- ❤️About Longju Temple: Carved beams and painted rafters, wooden dragons winding around, hence the name Longju Temple. It is said to have been built by the eighth ancestor of Zen Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty, Master Mazu Dao. The main hall was rebuilt during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. There are 10 murals painted in the second year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty (1466) on the four walls of the hall. The murals depict the twelve round enlightened bodhisattvas, along with disciples, protectors, and donors. ---------- 📍Longju Temple is 14 kilometers away from Sanxingdui Museum 📍Longju Temple is 10 kilometers away from Luocheng mentioned in the previous note 🎫Free 🗺️Visiting and praying for about 1 hour 📸Photography tour for about 1.5 hours ---------- 🌟There is vegetarian food available at noon, not expensive 10r/person (no vegetarian food during the New Year period) 🌟Each person can get free incense at the temple gate (3 sticks) 🌟The main hall is currently not open to the public due to the unfinished cultural relic restoration project 🌟Opening hours are 8:00-19:30 in summer and 8:00-17:00 in winter 🌟Parking is available at the entrance, there are plenty of parking spaces, and there are also many places to eat

After thousands of years of slumber, it has awakened to astonish the world! The Sanxingdui Museum is definitely worth the trip! 🎫 Make sure to book in advance through the mini-program, as tickets are generally not available on-site. The full ticket is 72 yuan, and you can enter directly with your ID card without needing to exchange for a ticket. On-site reservations are not available for the guided tours; the official ones can only be booked on-site. There are quite a lot of people, and the queue is quite long. In the end, I had to give up and rent an electronic guide. There are also online comments that you can find external guides, but the quality varies, so be careful to discern. 🚗 Departing from Mianyang, it takes about 30 minutes to reach Guanghan North by high-speed rail, and then about 20 minutes by taxi🚕. There are many taxis at the high-speed rail station, so it's quite convenient to take one. After arriving, you need to walk across to enter the museum. 🍲 We went in the morning and simply bought some food inside the park, including burgers, fried chicken, convenience meals, and the coffee shop had sandwiches. The roads around are under construction, and there really isn't much to eat, so you can bring your own. 🤓 The crowd was okay in the morning, but there were indeed many students there for study tours, which was a bit noisy. The museum is most crowded around 2-3 pm, and the area around the museum's treasures is completely filled with people. 📸 The first and second floors are very crowded. If you lower the exposure when taking photos, you can get a picture of the artifacts without people in it, and have a moment alone with the artifacts, which is quite shocking. To think that such a level of craftsmanship was achieved thousands of years ago is truly remarkable! I've been catching up on documentaries about Sanxingdui recently, and I suggest everyone watch them before going, as it makes the visit more meaningful. The temporary exhibition hall on the -1 floor is very well set up and is a must-see, refer to P15. 🏠 The architecture of the new museum is very photogenic, looking down from above, I personally think it resembles the universe (Sanxingdui always brings to mind aliens), with its spiral patterns, it's stunning! There is also a small grove of trees in the plaza outside the museum, which is also great for taking photos! In summary, Sanxingdui is definitely worth a visit, but it's best to avoid the crowds, otherwise, it can be really tiring and rushed, and you won't be able to hear many of the explanations.

🇨🇳 Slumbering for three thousand years, its awakening astonishes the world. 🇨🇳 The Sanxingdui civilization, which flourished during the Shang Dynasty 4500 years ago, showcased its mature bronze craftsmanship and unique sacrificial culture. The complex and exquisite components of the sacrificial artifacts, stacked in a pagoda-like fashion, are now displayed before the world. The worship of the sun was a consistent theme, perhaps because birds flying high could get closest to the sun, making the Sun Bird a classic artistic representation of the Shu people. 🇨🇳 The Sanxingdui culture can be compared with the Mycenaean civilization, the Egyptian civilization, and the Babylonian civilization, greatly enriching the history of Chinese civilization. Whether it's the golden masks or the bronze scepters, they share commonalities with other civilizations of the world, such as the Maya of Central America, the Babylon of the Mesopotamian region, the Peacock Dynasty of the Indian subcontinent, and Tutankhamun of Egypt. The mysterious ancient Shu civilization has sparked infinite imagination in people. In that era, there was almost no interaction with other regions of the world, yet despite the distinct characteristics of human civilizations, the common traits of worship are quite evident. Experience the five thousand years of Huaxia, inheriting the Chinese civilization!🇨🇳

The Sanxingdui Museum is located at the northeast corner of the Sanxingdui site, a key national cultural relic protection unit, on the banks of the famous historical and cultural city of Xiyuhe in Guanghan, Sichuan Province, 38 kilometers south and 26 kilometers north of Deyang. It is a large modern thematic site museum in China. The Sanxingdui Museum has two exhibition halls, with a total exhibition area of nearly 12,000 square meters, divided into the first exhibition hall (comprehensive hall, exhibiting gold, bronze, jade, stone, pottery, and other cultural relics) and the second exhibition hall (Bronze Hall). The two exhibition halls have a large scale, exquisite layout, and content with exhibition rhythm and ups and downs, which, with their interpretation of knowledge, stories, decoration, and fun, powerfully reveal the profound connotations of the Sanxingdui cultural relics, reflecting the brilliance of the Sanxingdui civilization, giving visitors the feeling of being there and experiencing a national journey. The Sanxingdui Museum covers an area of about 33 hectares, with a greening area of over 80%, featuring a beautiful environment, suitable layout, open paths, weeping willows, unique flowers of ancient Shu, and lake and island shadows everywhere, reflecting the perfect combination of human culture and nature in western Sichuan, with elegant and natural garden characteristics. The appearance of the museum's main building seeks to combine the charm of the terrain, historical relics, and the art of cultural relic shapes, blending primitive meaning with a modern atmosphere. The exhibition hall buildings are semi-arc-shaped sloping ecological buildings, promoting the humanistic spirit of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and the two exhibition hall buildings are three deformed spiral buildings, symbolizing both 'piling three stars' and 'the evolution of human history'. Outside the exhibition halls, there is a grand ancient sacrificial platform and modern cultural and sports activity venues for large-scale performances, expressing the ancient, vast, and profound historical significance of the Sanxingdui culture.