Sanxingdui Ruins

Located in Nanxing County, Guanghan, Sichuan Province, Sanxingdui Ruins was discovered in 1980 which is the earliest civilization site by now. Having a history of about two thousand years old, Sanxingdui Ruins is a site of Bronze Age in Yangtze River area. Covering an area of 12 square kilometers, it is famous for three connected loess piles which are actually the ancient capital of the south wall that has two notches. Because of the long age, the collapsed walls had been eroded and then gradually formed the three loess piles. Sanxingdui Ruins includes the large city site, large area of residential area, two artifacts holes and other important cultural relics.

Cultural Relics

Bronze Portrait

The casting of these bronze is diverse in forms and exquisite in foundry. The exaggerated and the elegant portraits compose a mysterious group in different poses and different expressions. Among the numerous bronze, the three are very famous. Not only are they large, but also they have big eyes with highlighted eyeballs. The ears are exaggeratedly big which are like the animals’ ears. The mouths are widened to the ears, which make people feel an indescribable amazement. But the upturned smile gives people a mysterious and intimate feeling.

The biggest one is 65 centimeters high, 138 centimeters wide has eyes with the eyeballs highlighting to 16.5 centimeters. 66 centimeters ornament is imbedded over its nose, which looks very weird and strange.

Standing Bronze Figure

The facial features of the standing figure are high nose, thick eyebrows, large eyes with vertical ramp shape and big ears. The figures with thick arms and hands are thin and tall. Two hands are holding. The largest standing bronze figure about 1.7 meters high is called the King of the Bronze Statues in the World, weighing 180 kilograms. The casting history can date back to more than three thousand years ago; the giant bronze figure is well-known as the Oriental Giant.

Bronze Tree

In August 1986, archaeologists in Sichuan Province found 6 bronze trees in Sanxingdui Ruins. Only one bronze tree, First Bronze Tree, could be well restored. Although the upper part has been missing, it can still be estimated that the tree’s height should be 5 meters. But now the bronze tree is 396 centimeters high. A round base is in the lower portion of the tree with three roots like diagonal bracing around the trunk bottom to support the tree. The tree trunk is straight with a total of nine branches. All the branches are soft and drooping. In the middle parts of branches stretch short branches having hollow pattern of small circles, buds and birds standing on each bud. The bronze trees unearthed in Sanxingdui Ruins are unique marvelous things.

Sanxingdui Museum

Located in the northeast corner of Sanxingdui Ruins, Sanxingdui Museum is a place for cultural relic’s protection, academic research and social education. The first exhibition area is 4,200 square meters, the second 7,000 square meters and the tourist reception 2,600 square meters. The museum pursues the charm of combining the landscape, historical and cultural art together. The museum displays the excavated potteries, jades, stones, gold and bronze and many other precious relics.