The Shangshan Archaeological Park is located in Pujiang county, Jinhua, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]
The National Cultural Heritage Administration recently included the Shangshan Archaeological Park in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, among its latest list of 10 national archaeological parks — the province's only new entry this year.
Discovered in 2000 in Huangzhai town, Pujiang county, the Shangshan site spans an area of about 40,000 square meters. After years of excavation, archaeologists have found pottery fragments, stone tools, and critical evidence linking early human agricultural practices to around 10,000 years ago.
As the birthplace of the Shangshan Culture — a Neolithic culture from 11,000 to 8,500 years ago in the Jinqu Basin in the middle and western part of Zhejiang, the Shangshan Archaeological Park is built based on the Shangshan site and opened to the public in November 2016.
To date, China boasts 65 national-level archaeological sites across 21 provinces.
Jiang Lepeng, the main discoverer of the Shangshan culture from the Zhejiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, said, "National archaeological parks must prioritize heritage protection while exploring the value connotation of the site to show the historical and cultural value of Chinese civilization to the outside world."
In the Shangshan Archaeological Park, existing facilities include a preservation exhibition hall and a research and study center, while a field museum and biodiversity displays are planned.
Since opening in 2016, the park has received over 2 million visitors and hosted social education activities around 720 times. Over 100 exhibitions presented the Shangshan Culture's archaeological achievements through pictures and words to visitors.
