Though considered an important financial and trade center today, Shanghai has had a comparatively short history. But archaeological discoveries suddenly extended the age of the city by thousands of years. Wing Tan digs deep.

Few Shanghai locals realize that Jinshan, the city's southwestern district near Hangzhou Bay, is one of the earliest settlements in China and life there dates back about 6,000 years.

A recent national-level research project and study of ancient cultural relics revealed three heritage sites in the district. As a matter of fact, they had been discovered decades ago, but somehow escaped notice.

As one of the original settlements of Shanghai, Jinshan is home to the relics of many ancient cultures, which have been gradually excavated over the past 30 years.

Though considered an important financial and trade center today, Shanghai has had a comparatively short history and was constantly belittled as a tiny fishing village before modern times.

However, with the discovery of the Liangzhu cultural relics (around 3310-2250BC) in the district's Tinglin Town, Qijiadun cultural relics from the Warring States Period (476-221BC) in Qijiadun Village and the Chashan Hill cultural relics 5 kilometers from Hangzhou Bay, Shanghai's history was extended by thousands of years.

Located in the west of Tinglin Town, the Liangzhu cultural relics were accidentally discovered in 1966, including several pottery fragments and a bronze spear. Later in excavations in 1972, 1973, 1975, 1988 and 1990, the underground cultural relics site was completely revealed.

Covering about 1,196 square meters, the site has 23 tombs featuring Liangzhu culture, two tombs from the Song Dynasty (960-1279), a stoneware factory and almost 500 high-quality, refined jade artifacts and carved black pottery vessels.

Most of the human bones in the coffins remained intact, heads pointing south and feet north. Jade pieces and stoneware were piled neatly on them and one was found buried with dog bones by his side.

Near Hangzhou Bay, is Qijiadun, a tiny remote fishing village, where the archaeologically important Qijiadun cultural relics were found in 1935 by researchers Jin Zutong and Wei Juxian, the first time that ancient heritages were discovered in Shanghai.

The site was excavated in 1962 and 1964. It turned out to be unique °?- the upper floor is of the Western Han (206 BC-24 AD) culture while the lower floor is from the Warring States Period.

A large number of cultural relics were discovered, including four ash pits, two ancient wells and eight tombs, where pottery and glazed pottery pieces were found.

Cooking utensils such as ding, li, fu and zeng and food vessels such as wan, bei, dou and pan, as well as containers such as tan, guan, pan, bo and he were excavated.

As well, there were pottery pieces, bronze mirrors, coins, ironware and stone implements from the Western Han Dynasty.

In the east side of the Chashan Hill close to Hangzhou Bay is the Chashan Hill cultural relics site. It was accidentally discovered during construction work in 1972 when workers excavated a square stone axe, which proved to be a tool from the Neolithic Age.

More things were unearthed in further research, including pottery pots from the Xiashang Period 3,000-4,000 years ago, shaped like bull's noses and made with red soil from the Neolithic Age; porcelain bowls dating from the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589 AD) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911); as well as agricultural tools, stone knives, blades and sickles.

If it were not for the steles with "Shanghai's Cultural Heritage," written on them in large letters, people might ignore these precious sites or think of them as farmland. Precious ancient pots, jade, stoneware and other items have been moved to the Jinshan Museum (200 Luoxing Road, Zhujing Town), which displays the district's and the city's long lost past. Though considered an important financial and trade center today, Shanghai has had a comparatively short history. But archaeological discoveries suddenly extended the age of the city by thousands of years. Wing Tan digs deep.



Looking about

During research on cultural relics, many other sites have been listed as Jinshan's cultural heritage. Here are some to look out for.

Fengjing Old Town

Fengjing Old Town, which dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279), is filled with historic relics and cultural relics.

Shiwang Temple

Built in 1579, the Taoist temple was one of the most influential holy places in its day.

Fire Fighting Tower

This 8-meter-tall tower was built to commemorate more than 200 soldiers who were killed in the fire in 1926.

Cheng Shifa Residence

Famous painter Cheng Shifa died early this year. His house is beautifully preserved and is a must-see for those who admire Chinese ink-wash painting.

Ding Cong Museum

Famous cartoonist Ding Cong is a Fengjing native. He is the director of the Cartoon Committee of the Chinese Artists' Association. The museum displays many of his works.

People's Commune

People's communes, which no longer exist, were key political, social and administrative units that originated in the "Great Leap Forward" in the late 1950s.

The Fengjing People's Commune was founded in 1958 and the office has been turned into a museum. Photos and artifacts of the period are displayed, including a statue of Chairman Mao Zedong, slogans, old telephones, furnishings, government reports and newspapers. People were urged to focus on steel production.

Transport to Fengjing Town: Take the Shanghai-Hangzhou (Huhang) Expressway and exit at Fengjing.



Jinshanwei area

Memorial stele

In 1937, the Japanese invaders began the Songhu Battle in order to besiege the city. They chose Jinshanwei, a coastal town, as their landing place because the defenses were weak. More than 1,000 Chinese in the town were massacred. Only 40 survived.

In 1985, the municipal government erected a stele there to commemorate the battle and those killed in the slaughter.



Zhujing Town

Donglin Temple

The 700-year-old Buddhist temple is the largest and the most influential holy place in the south of Shanghai, featuring a 26-meter Buddhist statue, the world's largest indoor Buddha with 42 arms.



Tinglin Town

Huayan Tower

This was built in 1380 by Deran, a monk. The seven-story tower features 81 volumes of Huayan Scripture.

In 1999 in a renovation project, a total of 39 relic items were discovered, including Sarira (a kind of pearl or crystal-like bead-shaped objects that are purportedly found among the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters), ashes of scriptures, a bronze statue and many other items from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.