Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site

Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site

The Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, a patriotic education base, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site is situated about 50 kilometers southwest of Beijing, at the border between mountainous and plain terrain. To the southeast is the North China Plain, and to the northwest are mountainous areas. The nearby mountains are primarily limestone, which, through water erosion, created caves of various sizes that served as natural repositories for "dragon bones," leading to the mountain being called Dragon Bone Hill. Within the hill lies a natural cave, approximately 140 meters long from east to west and 2.5 to 42 meters wide from north to south, where Peking Man lived 500,000 years ago. They inhabited the cave for over 400,000 years, leaving behind remnants of food, tools, and their skeletal remains. Eventually, the cave was buried by collapsed mud and fallen rocks.

As early as 1918, after the discovery of the first site, excavations in 1921 and 1923 unearthed numerous mammal fossils. Of particular importance were two human teeth found among the fossils—the earliest discovery of Peking Man remains. Since 1927, multiple large-scale excavations have been carried out. Notably, on December 2, 1929, Chinese archaeologist Pei Wenzhong discovered the first complete skull fossil of Peking Man in the northern fissure deposits of the site. This discovery provided strong evidence for the theory of human evolution and is hailed as the first scientific Olympic gold medal won by Chinese scientists. To date, a total of six relatively complete skulls, 12 fragmented facial bones, 15 mandibles, 157 teeth, and more than ten limb and other bones have been unearthed, representing over 40 individuals of different ages and sexes. Zhoukoudian thus became world-renowned as the home of Peking Man. Based on the excavation sites, scientists named this primitive human species "Peking Man" and the cave the "Peking Man Site."

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, further large-scale excavations were conducted, uncovering the fossils of over 40 Peking Men and women of all ages, more than 100 types of animal fossils, over 100,000 stone tools, and several layers of ash still preserved within the caves. The thickest ash layer exceeds 6 meters and contains a large amount of burnt bone fragments and charcoal, indicating that Peking Man had already mastered the use of fire for cooking and warmth.

Above the Peking Man site, in caves near the mountaintop, lies the site of the Upper Cave Man. Here, three complete skulls and fragmented bones of adult men and women were discovered. Around the skeletal remains of the Upper Cave People, red hematite powder was found scattered. The cave also yielded bone needles, perforated bone pendants, fish bones, tooth ornaments, and necklaces made of strung stone beads—evidence that they had learned to sew animal hides for clothing, adorn themselves, and exhibited the budding of primitive art. Scientific estimates suggest that the Upper Cave People had physical characteristics not significantly different from modern humans; they were an early form of the yellow race, having advanced far beyond the Peking Man by 18,000 years ago.

In 1961, the Zhoukoudian Site was designated by the State Council as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level. In 1987, UNESCO included the Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site in the World Heritage List. The Zhoukoudian Site Museum opened to the public in 1953. In 1992, the Beijing Municipal People's Government listed it as a "Beijing Youth Education Base." In 1997, it was recognized by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee as one of the first hundred national patriotic education demonstration bases.

Address: No. 1, Zhoukoudian Street, Fangshan District, Beijing

Type: Historic Site Museum / World Heritage Site

Rating: AAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 2 hours

Phone: 010-69301278

Official Website: http://www.zkd.cn/

Opening Hours:

Peak Season (April 1 – October 31): 9:00–16:30, ticket sales stop at 16:00; Off-Peak Season (November 1 – March 31): 9:00–16:00, ticket sales stop at 15:30.

Ticket Information:

Museum: 30 RMB, Site Park: 30 RMB.

Further Reading:

· National First-Class Museum of China

· First Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level