Yin Xu

I’m generally wary of sites in the “something important happened here, but is no longer actually here” category, but Yin Xu was a pleasant surprise. As Els noted in her review, there are two components to this site: the old city, and the royal tombs. But the highlight of this site isn’t actually on the list: the gleaming new museum which had only just opened when we visited in August 2024.

The site is largely focused on the Shang Dynasty, which lasted from approximately 1700-1000 BCE. Most of what we know about the Shang comes from their writing system, inscribed in tiny characters on tortoise shells and other animal bones. It’s considered the birthplace of Chinese writing, and many modern Chinese characters have directly evolved from their Shang equivalents.

We started with the old city, which is still the main dig site and home of the former museum (which is now mostly closed). There were some interesting signs with a surprising amount of English, but the buildings themselves weren’t particularly impressive. Houses and other buildings are laid out with small posts, concrete and bricks, though the use of modern materials made me a little sceptical. One of the buildings had a large pit with multiple chariots, but it wasn’t entirely clear whether they were originals or replicas.

The highlight here was a long series of signs, each showing a Shang dynasty character, what the character meant, what it can tell us about Shang culture, and the modern …

From Beijing, it takes 6 hours by train to Anyang - the northernmost city of Henan Province. The trip can be cut short into 3 hours if one takes the fast train or dongche.

To get to Yin Xu from the railway station, one can take bus 28 to Jian Hang (Construction Bank of China) and switch to bus 18 to Yin Xu Park (Yin Xu Bowuyuan).

This is an amazing site for those studying Chinese language - particularly Chinese characters. I have always been fascinated by how they have evolved and seeing the oracle bones museum in the Ancestral Shrines area was such an unforgettable experience for me.

The Yin Ruins are spread out over two separate locations: the Royal Palace area and the Royal Cemetery. Arriving at the gate of the Royal Palace area, I hadn't the faintest idea what to expect about this site. But when I saw the gate I immediately felt that this would be a visit to remember. That gate itself is already striking and prepares you for the shapes that you'll see over and over. Behind the gate lies a park with several exhibitions and a museum.

Starting at the museum is a good idea because it tells the story of the people of Yin. That they did practice animal and human sacrifice on a large scale becomes clear immediately. There are many fine bronze objects on display and of course the bones with writing (oracle bones). At first sight, they look just like normal bones, you have to look up really close to see the inscriptions. Amazing! The general feel of the site is brand new and bright, with a lot of attention put into its layout and detailing. There are explanation boards everywhere in English.

One of the highlights in the Royal Palace area is the 'Oracle bones inscriptions stele gallery'. Here, translations from writings on oracle bones into Modern Chinese and English are displayed. What did they write about? Sacrificing, tribute-paying, military actions and astronomy were popular themes. Remarks on good weather and therefore good harvests are also common.

Around the corner, the characters of the …