New Sanxingdui Museum building starts trial operation in SW China's Sichuan

Pottery wares are showcased in the new building of the Sanxingdui Museum in southwest China's Sichuan Province July 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Xi)

CHENGDU, July 27 (Xinhua) -- The new building of the Sanxingdui Museum in southwest China's Sichuan Province started trial operation on Thursday, with nearly 600 relics unearthed from the renowned Sanxingdui Ruins displayed to the public for the first time.

Located beside the old museum building, the new facility has a total construction area of 54,400 square meters, five times that of the old one.

A total of more than 1,500 pieces or sets of relics, including pottery, bronze, jade and gold wares are showcased in the new building, which has an exhibition area of 22,000 square meters. Among the highlights are a nearly 4-meter-high sacred bronze tree, golden masks, and bronze standing figurines, all dating back around 3,000 years. More than 300 relics were newly excavated from the sacrificial pits No. 3 to No. 8.

The application of technologies and a well-designed exhibit layout ensures a captivating and immersive experience for museum-goers. Notably, glasses-free 3D technology allows visitors to share the perspective of archaeologists at an excavation site, enabling them to relish the enthralling moment when a relic is freshly unearthed.

All the artifacts of the old museum building have been relocated to the new facility. The cultural relic conservation and restoration hall will remain at its original site, adjacent to the museum buildings. Visitors can see the restoration process of these artifacts at the hall.

According to Zhu Yarong, deputy director of the Sanxingdui Museum, the newly exhibited content meticulously sorts out the archaeological achievements at Sanxingdui from the past decades, presenting it as a vivid example that showcases the unified yet diverse origins of Chinese civilization.

Discovered in the late 1920s, the Sanxingdui Ruins have earned the reputation of being one of the world's greatest archaeological findings of the 20th century.

Located in Guanghan City, the ruins covering an area of 12 square km are believed to be the remnants of the ancient Shu Kingdom which had its heyday around 3,000 years ago.

Photo taken on July 26, 2023 shows a bronze head displayed in the new building of the Sanxingdui Museum in southwest China's Sichuan Province.(Xinhua/Liu Kun)

Photo taken on July 26, 2023 shows a bronze mask displayed in the new building of the Sanxingdui Museum in southwest China's Sichuan Province.(Xinhua/Liu Kun)

Photo taken on July 26, 2023 shows a golden mask displayed in the new building of the Sanxingdui Museum in southwest China's Sichuan Province.(Xinhua/Wang Xi)