Fangshan Western Zhou Yan Capital Site Museum

Fangshan Western Zhou Yan Capital Site Museum

The Fangshan Western Zhou Yan Capital Site Museum is a national AA-level tourist attraction and a patriotic education base.

Introduction:

It is the capital site of the Yan State, an important northern vassal state during the Western Zhou Dynasty, showcasing the conditions and cultural landscape when Beijing was established over 3,000 years ago. Among contemporaneous sites nationwide, it boasts the richest cultural relics, having unearthed a number of bronze artifacts inscribed with the "Jin" inscription, as well as a large quantity of exquisite pottery, jade, stone, lacquerware, and agate artifacts. It is a national key cultural relics protection unit, known as the "Source of Beijing." The site includes a museum that combines an ancient cultural site with cultural relic exhibitions, serving as an archaeologically specialized museum primarily showcasing the city walls of the Yan State capital during the Western Zhou period and cultural relics unearthed from the noble tombs of the Yan State.

The Western Zhou Yan Capital Site Museum is located 40 kilometers from central Beijing and was established on the basis of excavations at the Liulihe Shang-Zhou site. The museum covers an area of 20,667 square meters, featuring a pavilion-style building in the style of the Tang Dynasty. Inside, there are exhibition halls, cultural relic storage rooms, two tomb sites, and two chariot pits. The displayed relics include dozens of items such as pottery, bronze ware, proto-porcelain, jade, lacquerware, figurines, and stone artifacts. Among them are national treasures such as the largest bronze artifact ever discovered in Beijing’s history, the Ding Tripod, and the Ju Tripod.

The Shang-Zhou site spans nearly 6 square kilometers and includes residential remains, city sites, burial areas, and chariot pits. Since their discovery in the 1970s, thousands of precious cultural relics have been unearthed, which not only hold significant academic value but also further confirm that Beijing is a cultural ancient capital with a history of more than 3,000 years. Currently, the Shang-Zhou site is a national key cultural relics protection unit and is under ongoing excavation and research, with the museum set to be expanded and improved accordingly.

Address: Dongjialin Village, Liulihe Town, Fangshan District, Beijing

Type: Ancient Monument Museum

Recommended visiting time: 1–2 hours

Phone: 010-61393049

Official Website: http://www.yanduyizhi.com/

Opening Hours:

9:00–16:00, last entry at 15:45, closed on Mondays (except public holidays).

Ticket Information:

Free admission.

Further Reading:

· China's National Third-Class Museum