Visiting the Niuheliang Site: Tracing the Dawn of Liaohe Civilization and Dialogue with the Hongshan Cultural Context of Five Thousand Years

China News Service, Chaoyang, Liaoning, November 11th. Title: Visiting the Niuheliang Site: Tracing the Dawn of the Liaohe Civilization and Dialogue with the Red Mountain Cultural Context of Five Thousand Years

Author Wang Xitong

In the exhibition hall of Niuheliang Ruins Museum, cultural relics such as painted pottery cylindrical vessels, jade pig dragons, jade figures, dragon and phoenix jade pendants, and human statue fragments unearthed from the Goddess Temple are displayed; deep in the exhibition hall, the Hongshan Goddess Statue stands quietly, bringing the audience into the ancient civilization of more than 5,000 years ago.

Recently, reporters visited Chaoyang, Liaoning Province to visit the Niuheliang ruins. Photo by Wang Xitong

Recently, reporters followed the Liaoning Province's online major theme publicity and guidance activity "Why China·Dialogue with Hongshan" and visited the Niuheliang site in Chaoyang, Liaoning. This event was guided by the Network Communication Bureau of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, hosted by the Cyberspace Affairs Office of the Liaoning Provincial Party Committee, and undertaken by the Cyberspace Affairs Office of the Chaoyang Municipal Party Committee. The event is based on the grand narrative of "Why China", digs deep into the rich heritage of Hongshan culture in western Liaoning, relies on the Internet communication matrix, opens a dialogue between civilizations spanning ancient and modern times, and tells the story of Liaoning about the origin of Chinese civilization.

The Hongshan Culture is an important source of the diverse and integrated pattern of Chinese civilization. The integrated prehistoric ritual complex of altars, temples and tombs at the Niuheliang site demonstrates the form of ancient civilization more than 5,000 years ago. Jade artifacts such as the Jade Pig Dragon carry the cultural genes of the Chinese nation of worshiping dragons and jade, and are key archaeological evidence to answer the question "Why is China?"

Entering the Niuheliang Heritage Museum, the exhibition area is nearly 3,500 square meters, including 7 themed units including "Prologue Hall", "Hongshan Ancient Country", "Beginning of Civilization", "Ancestor of Humanity", "Prayer Altar" and "Beginning of Jade Ceremony".

Niuheliang National Archaeological Site Park has been open to the public since 2013, covering museums, goddess temples, altars, stone tombs and multiple excavation sites. The reporter walked into the protection exhibition hall of the first location (Goddess Temple) and the protection exhibition hall of the second location. It is understood that the second site protection exhibition hall was jointly designed by the Architectural Design Institute of Tsinghua University and the Royal Institute of British Architects. The shape of the building is based on a deformed jade pig dragon; the circular corridor extends next to the triple concentric altar, and the level, orientation and position of the jade artifacts of the stone tomb can be identified.

At the end of 2023, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage released the latest results of the Chinese Civilization Discovery Project, confirming that the Niuheliang site is a typical representative of the first stage of the Ancient Kingdom, about 5,800 to 5,200 years ago, further clarifying the historical value of the Niuheliang site. As a major province of cultural relics, Liaoning continues to promote archaeological research on Hongshan culture, site protection and revitalization, and promotes ancient civilization resources out of archaeological sites and into the public eye.