Jinsha (Chinese: 金沙; pinyin: Jīnshā) is an archaeological site in Chengdu, capital of China's Sichuan Province. The site is located in Qingyang District, along the Modi River (摸底河). It is named for a nearby street, itself named after the Jinsha River.
Overview
The Jinsha site was accidentally discovered in February 2001 during real estate construction. Located about 50 km away from Sanxingdui, the site flourished around 1000 BC and shares similarities in burial objects with the Sanxingdui site. Ivory, jade artifacts, bronze objects, gold objects and carved stone objects were found at the site. Unlike the site at Sanxingdui, Jinsha did not have a city wall. Jinsha culture (1200–650 BC) was a final phase of Sanxingdui culture and represents a relocation of the political center in the ancient Shu Kingdom.[2] The city was built on the banks of the Modi River.
In 2013, History Channel Asia, in co-production with China International Communication Center (CICC), produced a one-hour, English-language documentary "The Lost City of Jinsha" hosted by the Chinese-American archaeologist Dr. Agnes Hsu. The film is the first episode in the documentary series Mysteries of China.[3]
Jinsha site are together with Sanxingdui and Tombs of boat-shaped coffins on Unescos list of tentative world heritage sites.
Exhibitions
Jinsha Site Museum mainly consists of Relics Hall, Exhibition Hall, Sun and Immortal Bird Sculpture, Ebony Forest, Jade Road, etc. so you can closely experience its historical culture.
Relics Hall
From the East Entrance of Jinsha Site Museum, you can see the Relics Hall shaped in semicircle. Stepping in, you will be amazed by the so large scale hall that is the original excavation place of those unearthed relics. Walking on the roads paved with wood to see the historical sites within 1 meter, you will feel the antique atmosphere of the sacrificial places where tens of thousands of cultural relics were found, the biggest palace of pre-Qin dynasty in southwest China, tomb places of multiple types, over 70 house foundations, etc.
Exhibition Hall
Five halls are reasonably arranged within this tall building, so you can visit along a logical route starting from the Exhibition Hall No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 to the Exhibition Hall No. 4 and No. 5.
1. Exhibition Hall No. 1 - Private Homeland
Enter the second main spot in Jinsha Site Museum and go up to the second floor to the Exhibition Hall No.1 where you can enjoy the lifelike scene of ancient daily life in Shu Kingdom with birds chirping, dogs barking, vigorous animals growing in the forest, two brothers taking the game back home to share with their family, etc. Appreciating such scene, you will feel life of ancient people is really idyllic and harmonious. Apart from that, a rich number of unearthed relics of physical components of animals are displayed.
2. Exhibition Hall No. 2 - King Palace at a Glance
Exiting from the Exhibition Hall No. 1, you can get to the Exhibition No. 2 directly. Various aspects of ancestors about 3000 years ago are showing here in Jinsha Site Museum, such as, residences, tools, potteries, making of jade wares, tombs, all proving the high talent of people in remote time.
3. Exhibition Hall No. 3 - Immortal Heaven and Earth
Go down to the east of the first floor to the Exhibition Hall No. 3. A series of elephant tusks that are the important relics in Jinsha Site Museum are on display here. Besides, quantities of historical relics are exhibiting here according to materials, like jade, bronze, gold, stone, Bu Jia (oracle tortoise sell), etc. You will be attracted by the solemn and mysterious atmosphere here with the dark light and bead curtains dividing the room.
4. Exhibition Hall No. 4 - Peak of Perfection
In the west of the first floor is the Exhibition Hall No. 4. In the center, you can appreciate the essence of Jinsha Site Museum, the “Sun and Immortal Bird” gold ornament, which is 0.02 cm thin, 12.5 cm in outer diameter and 5.29 cm in inner diameter. With a sun with 12 dentate rays in the middle and 4 immortal birds flying around the sun, this ornament expresses people’s respect to sun as well as bird and their pursuit to harmonious life and bright future.
Moreover, you can admire more than 30 exquisite unearthed objects, like the bronze human shaped ware, gold mask, ten sectioned jade Cong, stone tiger, etc.
5. Exhibition Hall No. 5 - Seeking Answers to the Mysteries of Jinsha
Walking to the basement first floor, you can see this hall in the west where you can enjoy from Sanxingdui culture, Jinsha-12 bridge culture, to the culture of ancient Shu Kingdom, and have a better knowledge of the historical background of Shu Kingdom.
6. 4D Cinema
At the basement first floor. The specially made movie “Dreaming Back to Jinsha” with 4-dimension skill takes you back to 3000 years ago to experience the abundance and beauty of Jinsha in ancient Shu Kingdom. (RMB 20/person)
The Memorial Sculpture of Chinese Cultural Heritage
The sculpture that is both the logo of Chengdu city and the Symbol of Chinese Cultural Heritage is one of the “must see” spots. It is located on the pass from the Exhibition Hall to the South Entrance of Jinsha Museum.
Ebony Forest
Ebonies are the valuable old trees that were buried under the ancient riverbed and later carbonized after thousands of years. Here in the southeast of Jinsha Site Museum, you can appreciate more than 60 precious ebonies.
Jade Road
Near the South Entrance of Jinsha Site Museum lies the Jade Road that is paved with the unearthed jade and small pebbles. Walking on the road, you can feel the hard process of ancient Shu people carving jade wars.
Apart from the above spots, some other places in Jinsha Site Museum are also worth seeing, like the beautiful natural sightseeing in Waterscape Plaza, high-quality movies in Jinsha Theater, etc.
Relics Hall in Jinsha Site Museum
Lifelike Scene of Ancient Life
Daily Life of Ancient People
Elephant tusks in Jinsha Site Museum
Sun and Immortal Bird Gold Ornament
Gold Mask in Jinsha Site Museum
Memorial Sculpture of Chinese Cultural Heritage
Ebony Forest in Jinsha Site Museum
Mysteries
The discovery of Jinsha Site has given the proof of the long existence of Chengdu, but there are still many mysteries with no answers. You could think about them as following to experience the great and mysterious culture and history of Jinsha.
1. What does the pattern on the “Sun and Immortal Bird” gold ornament mean?
If the central fireball on the gold ornament stands for the sun, does the 12 rays represent the 12 months in one year or the 12 units (1 unit is equal to 2 hours in today) in one day, or the 4 birds stands mean the 4 seasons in one year? Is this whole pattern the understanding and expression of ancient people to the sun? How did ancient people made it as thin as 0.02 cm?
2. What is the connection between Ba, ancient Shu and people of other cultures?
There was no continuous history following the Sanxingdui Culture, and no one knows where ancient Shu people went. After the finding of Jinsha Site, people guess that people of Sanxingdui might transfer to Jinsha or Jinsha people was a branch of them. Moreover, the unearthed relics confirmed that the ancient Shu people to some degree had connection with Ba people and even others from South Asia and Central Asia.
3. Why the relics from Jinsha are smaller than that from Sanxingdui?
Many relics from Sanxingdui site are very big, like the bronze figure of 180.6 cm, but those from Jinsha are most small, such as the little bronze figure less than 15 cm. Was there any bigger bronze wares? Could the ancient Jinsha people have the right to make them if Jinsha was a smaller kingdom below Sanxingdui? Are there any bigger bronze wares undiscovered from Jinsha?
4. Why there are so many ivories found in Jinsha, since Chengdu plateau is not an original place for elephants.
There are over 1,000 ivories found here and the longest ivory is 1.85 meters. This is the unique finding among the world prehistoric sites. Were they from the South Asia, Southeast Asia? Were there many elephants growing in Chengdu?
5. What does the same direction of north by west mean?
All the stone Bi, stone Zhang, tombs and most building sites were facing the north by west. It is strange that the present structure Chengdu city and main streets in the downtown are also facing north by west. What does that mean? Is there any profound theories?
Services
Umbrellas, wheelchairs, baby strollers, drinking water;
Escalators, elevators and other barrier-free facilities;
Clinic with professional medical personnel and well-equipped facilities;
Three parking lots for over 200 cars;
Voice our guide, information desk, rest area, etc. in Tourist Center;
Explanatory Guide service for fee:
| Number of Visitors | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1-10 people: | Chinese: RMB 50/time, foreign language: RMB 100/time; |
| 11-20 people: | Chinese: RMB 100/time, foreign language: RMB 150/time; |
| 21-30 people: | Chinese: RMB 150/time, foreign language: RMB 250/time; |
| Over 30 people: | Chinese: RMB 5/person/time, foreign language: RMB 10/person/time; |
How to get to Jinsha Site Museum
Jinsha Site Museum is not very far from Tianfu Square in the center of Chengdu city, so it is very convenient and time-saving to take a taxi, a subway or a bus to get there.
If you want to get rid of hustle of public transportation and troublesome navigation, you can book a private tour package which covers sightseeing, dining and transfer from us. Our local tour guide and driver will escort you to Jinsha Site Museum with speed and convenience, and take care of all the details. You just need to focus on sightseeing.