Shanzhai Site

Shanzhai Site

The Shanzhai Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Shanzhai Site is located in Shanzhai Village, Shangfeng Town, Xiushui County, 63 kilometers from the county seat. It is a late Neolithic site characterized mainly by stepped adzes and sandy red pottery. In 1987, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural heritage site by the Jiangxi Provincial People's Government.

The Shanzhai cultural site, as referred to by archaeologists, is a general term for late Neolithic cultural remains primarily characterized by stepped adzes and red sandy pottery, found across the Poyang Lake region and even throughout the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

The Shanzhai Site is mainly distributed across eight hilly and sloping areas: Paoma Ridge, Yangyachang, Jinji Ridge, Changwo Ridge, Fengdongzui, Yangjiaping, Cimao Wo, and Heshu Wo, covering an area of approximately 6,200 square meters.

The Shanzhai cultural site represents a gathering place for humans in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China, dating back about 5,000 years. It serves as a living example of the "Shanzhai Culture" mentioned in junior high school history textbooks. Currently, 46 cultural heritage sites have been identified within the Shanzhai site cluster, among which 8 are provincial-level cultural relics protection units. These are evenly distributed on the southwestern slopes of the hills surrounding Shanzhai Village, stretching 5 kilometers from east to west and 4 kilometers from north to south, with intervals ranging from 50 to 200 meters. The cultural relics at the Shanzhai Site are well-preserved, with rich content, and most remain unexcavated. Those already unearthed include stone and pottery artifacts such as adzes, axes, arrowheads, shovels, chisels, net sinkers, sickles, whetstones, tripods, gui li tripods, pots, jars, and gui vessels. Due to the lack of a local museum, many artifacts have been lost to the public.

In 2019, the Shanzhai Site was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Shanzhai Village: Shanzhai Village…… More information about Shanzhai Village++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units