Haicheng Xianren Cave Site

Haicheng Xianren Cave Site

The Haicheng Xianren Cave Site is a national key cultural relics protection unit.

The Haicheng Xianren Cave Site is located within the Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area in Gushan Town, also known as "Jade Cave." It is a national key cultural relics protection unit and an ancient human habitation site from the Late Paleolithic and Early Neolithic periods, dating back 40,000 to 20,000 years. As early as the seventh year of the Xianfeng reign in the Qing Dynasty (1857), the Xiuyan County Annals recorded details about the cave: “Locals would enter in groups, holding lanterns. Inside, there were various spectacular stalactites. After walking several miles, they reached a river with a stone gate on the opposite bank, through which light shone, and strong drafts often blew inside the cave.”

The Haicheng Xianren Cave Site is a limestone cave where nearly 20,000 stone artifacts have been discovered, including a large number of stone cores, flakes, and waste pieces. The tools mainly consist of medium and small-sized scrapers, points, drills, and engraving tools made from quartz, as well as decorative items such as perforated animal teeth and shells. Fossilized teeth of Late Homo sapiens have also been found in the lower cultural layer. A total of 27 species of mammals have been identified among the animal fossils, along with fish, birds, and clams. Thick layers of ash, burnt soil, and burnt bones found in the strata indicate long-term habitation by early humans.

The karst cave landscape of Gushan Xianren Cave and the ancient human activity site are nestled within the Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area. The rich Paleolithic cultural remains, well-preserved cave, and surrounding natural environment provide direct evidence for reconstructing the life of people at that time and are important materials for understanding the development history of late Paleolithic humans in Northeast China.

Gushan Town: Gushan Manchu Town is the only ethnic minority town in Haicheng City. Located at the southeastern tip of Haicheng, it is 45 kilometers from the urban area, covering a total area of 203.7 square kilometers with a population of 24,000. It administers one neighborhood committee and 12 villages.

Gushan Town features numerous mountains and hills, characterized by the landscape of “eight parts mountain, one part water, and one part farmland.” Its natural resource advantages are significant, conducive to economic development. Transportation in the town is convenient. Currently, the town has achieved modernized communication systems, with advanced program-controlled telephones enabling connections worldwide. The power supply is sufficient, and other infrastructure is complete. The political environment is stable... More detailed information about Gushan Town++

Further reading:

· Fourth Batch of Cultural Relics Protection Units in Liaoning Province

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units