Archaeology museum opens in Shaanxi

As the capital of the Western Han (206 BC to AD 24) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, the two social and cultural peaks in Chinese imperial history, Xi'an and its neighboring area provided crucial reference points for studies on urban construction, funerary customs, social structures, and the formation of central dynasties in ancient times.

Exhibits in the new museum are from discoveries made by the Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology, one of the most prestigious institutes for archaeological studies in China. Over 200,000 cultural relics were collected by the academy.

Unearthed relics have been a main source of exhibits in Chinese museums, and themed museums have been set up for many key archaeological sites, like Qinshihuang's mausoleum. However, a facility such as the new museum, covering a larger region and relying on the inventories of an archaeological institute, is unprecedented in China.

"Through the relics and the heritage sites, people can see the clear lineage of Chinese archaeology," said Sun Zhouyong, director of the museum and head of the Shaanxi academy.