Ruins highlight efforts to trace, preserve roots

Ruins highlight efforts to trace, preserve roots

BEIJING , July 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from China Daily Numerous exquisite bronze and other items from the earliest recorded time of Chinese civilization are testament to a widely spreading kingship of China's Central Plains, as well as China's oldest-known writing system and multiple historical legends, and have provided significant illumination for modern Chinese archaeology since the 1920s.

The Yinxu Ruins in Anyang, Henan province, which one expert described as the "brightest star" of Chinese archaeology, connect the early stage of China as a nation around 3,300 years ago to the modern age, and have mesmerized not only professionals, but also the Chinese general public, inspiring them to trace their literary roots.

Monday marks the 20th anniversary of the Yinxu Ruins being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

As the site celebrates this milestone anniversary, one of the most eye-catching attractions at the Yinxu Museum is something playful: a hair-drying cap shaped like an adorable owl.

Since its debut in 2024, the hair-drying cap has been a hit among tourists flocking to the museum.

Featuring a lively, big-eyed owl look and strong practical value for daily use, it draws inspiration from an owl-shaped wine vessel unearthed from the tomb at Yinxu of Fu Hao, China's first-known female general and a consort of the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC) king Wu Ding.

Zhao Qingrong, director of the museum, said that when museum visitors wear available replica caps or clothing with elements of the Shang Dynasty, "they are no longer something strange in your textbooks.

Your taste buds and skin have a real interaction with them, which lingers better than a mere glance at exhibit cabinets".

"In this way, we transfer the obscure archaeological knowledge into an accessible aesthetic experience, so that people can connect with the Yinxu Ruins in their daily lives and thus develop an emotional bond with that remote era," she added.

The Yinxu Ruins, ...