Plan your Henan Tour? If you are interested in Chinese history and archeology, a visit to Yinyu is worth your time exploring. Yin Xu, literally “Yin Ruins”, is the remnants of Yin, the last capital of China’s Shang Dynasty (1559BC-1046BC) and also China’s first ancient capital, proven by written documents.
The Yin Xu archeological site is one of China’s oldest and largest, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2006). The archeological site covers palace area, emperor tomb area, general tomb area, handcraft workshop area, civilian inhabitancy area and slave inhabitancy area. Most importantly, Yin Xu is home to the first form of Chinese writing ( Inscriptions on oracle bones ).
Yin Xu ( Yinxu ) is located 7km northwest of the city center of Anyang, 510km south of Beijing. The city of Anyang is easily accessed by highspeed trains from any cities along the Jingguang Railway Line such as Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Zhengzhou, Wuhan and Guangzhou.
From the city center of Anyang, you may take the public bus No.01 from the bus stop of Shirenda (市人大) and get off at the 14th stop of Yinxu Museum, then walk north for about 900m and you will reach Yin Xu, officially known as Foundation Sites of Palace and Temple of Yin Xu (殷墟宫殿宗庙遗址). Of course, you also can taxi there for a small amount of money.
Entrance Fee：RMB 90
Guide Fee：RMB 80-120
Opening Time：8：00 – 18：30（April – Sept） 8：00 17：30（Oct – March）
Tel: 0372 – 3932171/3161009
Fax：0372 – 3161009
A visit to the Yinxu Site is mainly composed of several parts such an exhibition hall for the general survey of Yin Xu, Foundation Site of Concave Palace, Yinxu Museum, Stone Stele of Enlarged Inscriptions on Oracle Bones, Chariot Pits of Shang Dynasty, Oracle Bone Pit Yh127, Foundation Sites in Group B, Building No.12 in Groups, Fuhao Tomb, Foundation Sites in Group B.
Well, follow me to have a glimpse of Yin Xu, a 2-hour tour basically needed for this large archeological park. It is a AAAAA National Key Site with good maintenance.
Outside the entrance gate is a large parking lot with a rock in its front inscribed with the Chinese name of Yinxu.
The exhibition house is behind the huge Simuwu tetrapod, an imitation square cauldron unearthed here and the real Simuwu tetrapod housed in National Museum of China, Beijing.
Simuwu tetrapod was made latter Half of Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC), Height: 133 cm, Length: 110 cm, Width: 79 cm; Weight: 832.8 kg
Then turn right and walk to the entrance to the underground basement of Yinxu Museum.
Yinxu Museum is the only professional museum focused on the systematic exhibition of the relics in Shang Dynasty. It houses over 500 unearthed artifacts including ceramics, bronze vessels , jade and oracle bones.
Various Vessels on display
A piece of carve jade on exhibition
Oracle bones found pit 3 on display
This is the Exhibition Hall of Chariots Pit of Yin Dynasty and the remains of the restored road of Yin Dynasty. There are two horses in each of the 5 pits and one man buried in each of the 4 pits. The chariot pits have not only exhibited the level of development of the drawn cart, but also the cruelty of the immolation in the slave society.
The 5 pits of Chariots and men buried as immolation
The stele are made according to the original shape of the 30 pieces of oracle bones with inscriptions carefully chosen by the famous scapulimancy ( Oracle bones ) experts Mr. Wang Yuxin and Mr.Yang Shengnan through enlargement.
YH127 Oracle Pits: 17000 pieces of oracle bones were discovered in 1936 here in the pit of YH127. Most of the oracle bones are now in Taiwan.
The Hall of YH127 Oracle Pit
the inscribed oracle bone on display
Tomb of Lady Fu Hao Buiral Pit on exhibition. As one of the smaller tombs, Lady Fu Hao Tomb is one of the best-preserved Shang Dynasty royal tombs and the only one not to have been robbed and looted before excavation.
The pit was a wooden chamber 5 meters long, 3.5 meters wide and 1.3 meters high housing a lacquered wooden coffin that has since totally rotted away. 1926 burial artifacts have been excavated including 468 bronze vessels, 755 jade pieces，564 none vessels and 6800 shells.
Tomb of Lady Fu Hao Buiral Pit on exhibition
1926 burial artifacts have been excavated
Any questions, just drop a line.