China Highlights

China News

• China Tours
• Single City Tours
• Yangtze Cruises
• China Hotels
• China Flights
• China Guide
• Community

• Overview
• Latest Travel News
• Around China News
• Company News

 

 

Yin Ruins in Anyang, Henan Included on the World Heritage List

The 3,300-year-old Yin Ruins located in Anyang City in central China's Henan Province, dubbed the root of Chinese culture, was included on the World Heritage list on July 13 at the 30th Session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) in Lithuania, a day after the giant panda habitat in Sichuan Province. China now has 33 sites on the list.

 

It ranks third in the world in terms of number of listed sites, after Italy and Spain.

 

It took only six minutes for all 21 representatives of the WHC to unanimously agree to include the Yin Ruins to the list after having heard the application report. The WHC spoke very highly of the site and regarded the site as being of "universal value".

 

"The Yin Ruins are one of China's most significant archeological discoveries. After nearly 80 years of scientific research and excavation, abundant academic results have been achieved,"

"The Yin Ruins' inclusion on the World Heritage List indicates the international society's acknowledgement of their great historic, scientific and cultural value."

 

Lying about 2 km northwest of Anyang City, the Yin Ruins cover an area of 30 square km. It was once the capital of the Shang Dynasty empire 3,300 years ago and is the first capital ruins with a historical record confirmed by oracles and archaeological excavations. "Yin" was the ancient name for the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC-1100 BC).

 

The ruins have been dubbed the "cradle of Chinese archaeology" by archaeologists. Excavations have revealed tombs, foundations of palaces and temples, bronzes, jade carvings, lacquer ware, white carved ceramics, green-glazed ware and oracle bones. One of the most significant discoveries are inscribed animal bones and tortoise shells, known as the oracle bones, which carry the earliest known examples of Chinese characters. Since its excavation in late 19th century, more than 150,000 pieces of animal bones and tortoise shells bearing inscriptions recording harvests, astronomical phenomena, worship rituals and wars have been unearthed here, providing scholars with valuable historic and linguistic information.

 

The ruins also bear witness to the prime of China's bronze age. The four-legged bronze cauldron Simuwu Ding, measuring 133 cm in height and weighing 875 kg, is the world's biggest bronze ware item ever excavated.

 

The asymmetric city layout, which has been adopted by many Chinese cities including Beijing for over 3,000 years, also originated from these ruins.

 

The Anyang folk are equally thrilled about the World Heritage listing. Wang Guang, a taxi driver, was very excited to hear the news because he witnessed the work that the local authorities have done to improve the environment: "Most people travel to Anyang to see the Yin Ruins. It takes only 20 minutes now by taxi from downtown Anyang.