Casting a lasting shadow

In the past century, the site has yielded fruitful discoveries including ritual bronzes, jades, and 3,300-year-old oracle bones — the inscribed animal bones and turtle shells used for fortunetelling and recording events. The inscriptions reveal the oldest-known mature writing system of Chinese characters.

No wonder why Li Boqian, an 87-year-old veteran archaeologist from Peking University, commented: "In terms of archaeology, no other site in China is more important than Yinxu."

Last week, the newly built Yinxu Museum at the site began to receive visitors. Its appearance resembles that of some of the bronze relics within, complete with patina. Only one word in three Chinese characters, written in oracle bone scripts, hang above its entrance: Dayishang.

It offers a long-awaited journey through time: around 4,000 exhibits usher people back to that grand metropolis of old.

On its opening day, over 5,000 visitors were welcomed into what is China's first comprehensive archaeology museum focused on providing a panoramic view of the Shang civilization. With 22,000 sq m of galleries, visitors can admire the exquisite Shang relics and revel in their beauty.

However, behind the mesmerizing luster, there is the devotion of archaeologists to trace the path of the civilizations this land is inherited from.

According to Chen Xingcan, head of the Institute of Archaeology with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, also director of the new museum, over 90 percent of the exhibits were excavated by generations of the institute's researchers after the founding of New China in 1949.

"The findings not only verify what is recorded in history, but also greatly expand our knowledge of what the life of the Shang people looked like," he says. "Yinxu was our starting point to explore early stage Chinese civilizations. The new museum showcases the fruits of our academic endeavors to the public and will provide great impetus for our future studies."