A mural on display in the Yuncheng Museum Photo: Lou Kang/Global Times
Yuncheng, a city in North China's Shanxi Province, is famous for its salt industry and culture throughout Chinese history. However, there are more secrets hidden in its past: it is a place where the fossils of the "Dawn Ape," a primate that lived about 45 million years ago, were discovered and it is also one of the oldest Paleolithic sites in China, where the Dongzhuang Ruins were found.
All these treasures are well preserved and can be found in the Yuncheng Museum, where this Global Times reporter spent a day.
Located in the center of the city next to a beautiful lake, the building is modern and spacious, with four floors of exhibition halls.
The Yuncheng Museum, founded in 2013, spans over 38 acres and boasts more than 30,000 items in its collections, among which 675 are precious cultural relics.
A staff member told the Global Times that the museum is shaped like a cradle, "Signifying that this is where part of the Chinese civilization originated. Here you can witness the dazzling starlight of ancient Chinese civilization and feel the unbroken pulse of Chinese culture."
Tracing the origin
The Yuncheng Museum is a modern comprehensive museum that showcases the natural history, cultural heritage, revolutionary achievements and modern development of Yuncheng.
Among them, the Searching for the Roots of Chinese Civilization exhibition is an important part that displays the ancient civilization of Yuncheng, from the origins of human beings to the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties (c.2070BC-256BC).
The first floor showcases the natural history of Yuncheng, from the ancient geological formations to the diverse flora and fauna. The highlight is the "Dawn Ape" exhibit, where you can see the skull and bones of this ancient ancestor of human beings, as well as learn about its habitat and lifestyle.
"Dawn Ape" fossils are a primitive primate which is considered to be one of the distant ancestors of human being. Its skull and teeth show signs of advanced intelligence. The local staff explained to the Global Times that fossils exhibited here were discovered in the salt lake area of Yuncheng city, and are the earliest primate fossils in China.
The second floor is dedicated to the prehistoric culture of Yuncheng, with artifacts and models from different periods of the Stone Age. The most impressive is the Dongzhuang exhibit, where you can see the stone tools and pottery made by early humans who lived here more than 10,000 years ago. You can also see how they hunted, gathered and made fire.
The Dongzhuang Ruins are an ancient site from the Neolithic period, located on the bank of the Yellow River in the southwest of Ruicheng county. In 1958, archaeologists discovered circular semi-subterranean houses, pits for storing food, and pottery with fish patterns. These relics reflect the lifestyle and cultural characteristics of the people at that time.
But the most amazing thing is the statue of Guan Yu, a general during China's late Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) who was known for his bravery and skills in battle, which was dug up from the Guandi Temple in Xiezhou.
This statue is a masterpiece from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) about 8 feet tall and weighing about 150 kilograms. It is the biggest Guan Yu statue ever discovered.
Wearing a military uniform, a golden crown, and holding a Green Dragon Crescent Blade, the statue shows a brave and dignified figure.
This statue serves as a symbol of the Yuncheng Museum and is also an example of the skillful sculptures that were created during the Ming Dynasty, according to the staff.
Salt industry in the past
Salt transport refers to a series of activities that involve mining, processing, storing, transporting, and selling salt from the salt lake in Yuncheng.
The history of salt transport can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn (770BC-476BC) and Warring States (475BC-221BC) periods, when Yuncheng belonged to the state of Jin, which used salt as its wealth and controlled the salt industry in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River.
During the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, Yuncheng's salt industry reached its peak, and salt transport became one of the important sources of tax revenue for the state. It also stimulated many commercial, financial, cultural, and religious activities, before it gradually declined with the emergence of modern transportation tools such as railways and roads.
But the industry still left behind many precious historical relics and a cultural heritage that is available to visitors.
The third floor of the museum is all about the salt industry and culture of Yuncheng, which dates back to more than 2,000 years ago.
You can see how salt was extracted, processed, stored, transported, and sold in different dynasties, and also learn about the social and economic impact of salt on Yuncheng and China. There are many interactive displays and games that allow you to experience the salt production and trade.
Nowadays many salt fields have stopped production or transformed into other businesses. However, the salt fields still have significant historical and cultural value, as they are a unique feature of Yuncheng.
