A significant cultural tourist attraction, the Jinsha Ruins Museum, opened on Monday in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The 300,000-square-meter museum, costing nearly 390 million yuan, exhibits the splendid culture of the ancient Shu Kingdom 3,000 years ago, modifying previous assumptions about the origins of the Chinese civilization.

Over 6,000 pieces of cultural relics with sophisticated craftsmanship, like carved jade, gold, bronze, stone, and ivory artifacts, have been unearthed at the Jinsha Ruins. Historians believe they are the remains of the ancient Shu Kingdom mentioned in stories of the Qin and Han dynasties.

The archaeological site in Jinsha Village, discovered in 2001 by a housing development company, continues to yield a stream of art works and religious symbols.

The Chengdu archaeological team and historians from across China are still gathering evidence in the Jinsha area. Over 1,000 precious relics, including gold, jade and ivory, have once again seen the light of day.

The discovery is considered by local archaeologists as one of the most important finds in the region's history. 

Ancient pottery wares unearthed at the Jinsha ruins are on display at the Jinsha Ruins Museum that opened on Monday in Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China's Sichuan province, on April 16, 2007.

 
Visitors appreciate the newly opened Jinsha Ruins Museum in Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China's Sichuan province, on Monday, April 16, 2007.

(CRI.cn April 17, 2007)