Archaeological sites bear witness to history and embody the inheritance of culture. As April 18 marks the International Day for Monuments and Sites, also known as World Heritage Day, we've selected ten archaeological sites in China that merit exploration.

1. Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park, Beijing

As the royal resort of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Yuanmingyuan, or Old Summer Palace, was widely considered the apex of Chinese gardening art. It was burned and rooted by invading Anglo-French forces in 1860.

First constructed in 1707, this former imperial garden, covering roughly 350 hectares in the northwest of Beijing, witnessed the rules of six emperors.

It was one of the first national archaeological parks on the list issued by the National Cultural Heritage Administration in 2010.

2. Zhoukoudian, Beijing

Zhoukoudian, a UNESCO heritage site located 50 km from downtown Beijing, has been a significant site in paleoanthropology. It has yielded abundant evidence of ancient hominin activities.

At various parts of the site, scientists have unearthed the remains of early human lineage member Homo erectus "Peking Man" that date back more than 500,000 years, as well as of Homo sapiens "Shandingdong Man", identified as a primitive modern human, who lived 30,000 years ago.

3. Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu, Zhejiang province

The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province dates back 5,300 years. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019.

It covers a vast area of nearly 34 square kilometers and features more than 50 sites around the Mojiao Mountain site, including villages, tombs and altars from which a great number of delicate jade wares have been unearthed. These discoveries are among the most powerful pieces of evidence proving the 5,000 years of the history of Chinese civilization.

4. Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum, Shaanxi province

With an area of 56 square kilometers, Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum is the world's largest underground mausoleum.

This mausoleum of the first emperor of Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) is located at the northern foot of Lishan Mountain, 35 kilometers northeast of Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

An army of more than 7,000 life-sized terracotta warriors and horses was discovered at the site of the tomb in 1974. In 1987, it's inscribed in the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

5. Sanxingdui Ruins site, Sichuan province

Revered as one of the greatest archeological finds of the 20th century, the Sanxingdui Ruins are believed to be the remnants of the Shu Kingdom, dating back at least 4,800 years and lasting over 2,000 years.

The ruins are located in Guanghan city in Southwest China's Sichuan province, covering 12 square km.

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