Yunnan to step up archaeological effort at Lijiashan

Yunnan province will further the archaeological work at great ruins in the years to come, focusing on detailed excavation of the Lijiashan site, said a news release on August 1.

The Lijiashan ancient tombs form a most important site to unveil in the ancient Dian/Yunnan Kingdom. Located on the northern bank of the Xingyun lake in central Yunnan’s Yuxi city, 87 tombs have already been dug out over the past decades, with 4,000 plus bronze pieces unearthed.

Among them, the tiger-ox shaped bronze case was collected by Yunnan Provincial Museum, and now it has grown to be a typical treasure of the museum.

In June, application for the Lijiashan archaeological project was submitted to China National Cultural Heritage Administration.

It has been 50 years since the first Lijiashan archaeological excavation in 1972. To mark the occasion and further study the ancient tombs at Lijiashan, a seminar will be held from August 12 to 15.

The seminar will be jointly organized by the Chinese Institute of Archaeology, Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Yuxi Party Committee and Yuxi Municipal Government.

Source: Yunnan Daily; Trans-editing by Wang Shixue