Banpo Village (Banpo Museum) - A Gateway into China's Enigmatic Neolithic Past

Production tools and daily life items primarily refer to the primitive implements used by the early inhabitants excavated from the Banpo Site and Jiangzhai Sites (姜寨遗址). These include stone axes, stone shovels, stone knives, scraping tools, pounding and smashing tools, arrowheads, grinding stones, spindles for spinning, bone awls, bone knives, bone needles, fish hooks, and harpoons, etc.

In addition, Banpo people were already capable of making various types of pottery, like bowls, jars, and pots, with different textures such as fine clay, fine sand, and coarse sand. This highlights pottery-making as a distinctive artisanal activity tailored to practical needs within the Banpo matrilineal clan society.

Initially believed to be a wondrous self-filling water container, the Small-Mouthed Pointed-Bottom Flask, a hallmark of Banpo culture, is intricately fashioned from red clay. These vessels exhibit fine craftsmanship, boasting a modest mouth, short neck, rounded body, pointed base, and intricate diagonal cord patterns. Excavated examples come in different sizes, reflecting the diverse artistry of ancient Banpo and making them authentic cultural relics.

The Small-Mouthed Pointed-Bottom Flask has sparked curiosity regarding its intended function and purpose since its discovery. Later the late 1980s witnessed an experimental archaeology conducted in collaboration between the Banpo Village and Beijing University. The experiments revealed that while the top-heavy design allowed it to start filling with water when placed in a water source, its center of gravity shifted as it filled, causing the mouth to resurface before it could fully self-fill. Consequently, interpretations regarding its function and use have evolved, ranging from it being a vessel for liquids such as alcohol to serving as items for rituals or burial contexts.

Banpo Site’s pottery is a riot of colors, predominantly in red clay, showcasing the essence of the painted pottery culture. What’s truly intriguing is the presence of 20-30 symbols etched along the rims of certain pottery bowls, hinting at the possible origins of Chinese writing , and these intricate paintings mainly grace the shoulders of the vessels including adorning bowls, basins, jars, and slender-necked pots.

The most captivating feature of painted pottery is the seamless fusion of human faces and fish motifs, resulting in the distinct “Human-Faced Fish” pattern—an artistic gem of that era. Among these gems, the basins adorned with human-fish and human-net motifs stand as remarkable milestones in the annals of human history.

As the greatly treasured painted pottery from the Banpo Site, the Human-Faced Fish Basin holds the prestigious title of a National First-Class Cultural Relic and its captivating design served as the muse for the beloved Fuwa(福娃), the Beijing Olympics mascot, fulfilling a century-old dream for China. Intricately crafted in red clay with striking black designs, the Human-Faced Fish Basin boasts simple elegance. Inside, you’ll uncover two human and two fish motifs that tell a fascinating story. The human figures, with their closed eyes, artfully cradle two fish in their mouths, and two small fish motifs on the ears create a truly enchanting mermaid-like pattern.

This extraordinary artifact has ignited lively scholarly discourse, with interpretations spanning totemic symbolism, mythological tales, ancestral connections, primitive beliefs, masks, fish imagery, symbols of power, and even extraterrestrial inspirations. Upon uncovering this ceramic basin, archaeologists recognized its poignant role in a child’s burial, elegantly resting atop pottery. The small aperture, believed to be a portal for the child’s soul, speaks volumes of a mother’s undying hope and deep love. The basin is not only an artistic triumph but a testament to enduring familial bonds. Echoing the sentiment of Mr. Guo Moruo (郭沫若), “A parent’s love is unyielding through eternity.”

Beauty has been a timeless human pursuit. The Banpo people’s aesthetic sense shines through the extensive collection of over 1,900 ornaments displayed at the Banpo Village. Even in the late Paleolithic era, they adorned themselves with stone beads, seashells, animal teeth, and fish bones. These ornaments, made from materials like pottery, stone, bone, teeth, shells, and jade, come in various shapes and served different purposes. They include rings, pendants, beads, charms, squares, flat pieces, and tubes, used as hairpieces, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and waist embellishments. This trove encapsulates the enduring human quest for beauty.

Banpo Village is rooted, but you can flow in light of it. In these two captivating rooms, the recent display of relics unearthed from Banpo ruins integrates modern technologies like virtual electronics and holography, vividly reviving the splendor of the ancient Banpo culture. The newly introduced mural gallery, blending reality with illusion and utilizing audio-visual technology, dramatically recreates scenes of Banpo inhabitants, and vividly showcases their lives and struggles against nature.

Peculiar Prehistoric Residences

At Banpo, ancient residences were initially featured semi-subterranean dwellings, where half of the structure was underground, and the other half, with wall excavation, extended above the ground with a roof. These homes were both low and damp. It wasn’t until the late primitive society that they began constructing above-ground walls and supporting roofs with wooden pillars. This upright wall structure with sloping roofs laid the foundation for traditional Chinese architectural design, a remarkable innovation for its time.

Additionally, a formidable ditch, over 300 meters long, about 5 meters deep, and 6 meters wide, served as a defensive fortification to protect the village from outside tribes and sudden animal attacks.

Deep within the heart of the Banpo site, a sacred tapestry unfolds, revealing over 250 hallowed resting places—174 for adults, 76 for innocent children. A mystical burial ground lies beyond the trench, an ancestral haven for adult souls. In the residential maze, children find eternal embrace in urn burials. This sacred ground whispers secrets of an ethereal clan which is arranged in harmonious clusters and rows. Sacred urns cradle the departed, each sealed with a portal for ethereal journeys.

These tombs face the waning west, most solitary, with a few shared by four or two souls. Various rites—extended repose, shadowy embrace, fetal devotion, and enigmatic second burials —unfold. In the Banpo preservation sanctum, a resplendent exhibit showcases nine emblematic graves echoing the ancient celestial hierarchy and the artifacts bear witness to the ancient profound reverence for death and the afterlife. Banpo, with its living enclaves and sacred sepulchers, narrates an unending cosmic ballet.

Xi’an Ancient City Wall (Cheng Qiang) - Best Preserved City Wall in China

Constructed between 1370 and 1378 AD, Xi’an Ancient City Wall boasts the largest and best preserved existing ancient city wall in China and stands as a testament to the directive of Ming Dynasty’s founding emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang (朱元璋). Prior to ascending the throne and founding the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang heeded the counsel of a hermit: to erect formidable walls, amass ample provisions, and patiently await his destined ascension.

The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda – World Cultural Heritage Site on Silk Road

Erected more than 1,300 years ago, this edifice stands as the oldest attic-style square brick tower from the Tang Dynasty, boasting unmatched grandeur in China. Enriched with a deep Buddhist heritage, storied tales of renowned personalities, and exquisite architectural craftsmanship, it is celebrated as a crowning jewel in the annals of China’s architectural history and a revered Buddhist sanctuary.

Terracotta Warriors and Horses - Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum Site Museum

Hailed as one of the twentieth century’s most illustrious archaeological discoveries and dubbed the eighth wonder of the world, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses lies approximately 1.5 km east of Qin Shi Huang’s（秦始皇） Mausoleum. This grand assemblage, known as the Terracotta Army, serves as the sepulchral tribute to Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259-210 BC), the inaugural Emperor of China.

Hanyangling Museum- Mysterious Mausoleum of Emperor Jingdi of Han Dynasty

Located close to Xian Airport, Hanyangling Museum is the Tomb of Emperor Jingdi of Han Dynasty. Less known to tourists, the 2,000 years’ old mausoleum features in serenity and lifelike pottery figurines and special layout, that reveal a unique funerary system and culture different from the Terracotta Warriors of Qin Dynasty.

As the ancient capital city of China for 13 dynasties, ruled by 73 emperors, Xian has left massive cultural heritages and relics for you to explore. Within about two days, you can finish visiting the main sites, which include the incredible man-made wonder, the Terracotta Warriors, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, and the Muslim Quarter where you can get to try the local cuisines. Besides, biking around the Ancient City Wall and tracing back the history at Shaanxi History Museum and watching the Tang Dynasty Show, all of these activities are definitely unmissable for your stay in Xian. Now, it is available to have 144 hours Visa-Free Transit in Xian, and you can go for a history and culture tour or photography tour to explore all the stunning attractions in the city even without applying for a visa.

If you have more time, you can head to Luoyang, Hukou Waterfall, and the famous Mt. Huashan, which is about 120km away from the city area. Besides, you can start your Silk Road trip from the terminal Xian and travel along the route Marco Polo has visited, or you can regard Xian as your midway in China and start your trip from Beijing, Shanghai and even Lhasa to the west of Xian. China Discovery has designed many classic China tour packages including Xian for you. Let us customize one for you.Contact Us Now

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