Dongshanzui Altar

Dongshanzui Altar

Dongshanzui Altar is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a national key cultural relics protection unit.

Dongshanzui Altar is a national AAA-level tourist attraction, located on the top of the rear ridge of Dongshanzui on the west bank of the Daling River in Zhangjingyingzi Village, Xinglongzhuang, 50 meters above the river surface and 3.5 kilometers west of Kazuo County.

This site contains Neolithic remains dating back 5,500 years and is the earliest known primitive religious altar discovered in China to date. The discovery of a series of Hongshan culture relics beginning with Dongshanzui has pushed back the history of Chinese civilization by more than 1,000 years, providing a basis for the legends of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. The jade bi with double dragon heads unearthed here is the earliest known dragon totem ornament in China, while the nude pregnant female figurine unearthed is regarded as the “fertility goddess” worshipped by people at the time and is also called the “Venus of the East.” The Dongshanzui Altar has been listed as a national cultural heritage protection unit.

It was discovered during the 1979 cultural relics survey of Liaoning Province. Decorative items such as the jade bi with double dragon heads and a large number of uniquely shaped painted pottery vessels were unearthed. In 1982, formal excavations began, and a circular altar with an 8-meter diameter, edged with stone slabs and paved with river pebbles of uniform size, was discovered in the southern part of the site. The northern part features the remains of a square altar constructed with stone blocks, divided into a central area and two wings, showing a clear primary and secondary structure. The contrast between the round southern section and the square northern section marks the first such discovery in Chinese archaeological sites.

Nude female figurines of pregnant women and large seated pregnant female statues were also unearthed here. Experts believe these represent the “fertility goddess” worshipped by people at the time, also referred to as the “Venus of the East.” Stone implements used for percussion were also found. Additionally, fragments of red clay pottery, painted pottery, and black pottery were unearthed within the altar area.

In July 1983, after experts from the National Archaeological Society conducted an on-site investigation and discussion, they unanimously agreed that the site is a typical Hongshan culture altar, serving as direct evidence of a matrilineal clan society. The era it represents was a period of major transformation in primitive society. This holds milestone significance for the study of the culture and social history of northern China—from ancient times to the unification under the Qin Dynasty—centered around the region of the Yan Mountains and the Great Wall belt.

The Dongshanzui Altar has now been listed as a “National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit” and is included in Chinese history textbooks.

Attraction Level: AAA

Location: Zhangjingyingzi Village, Xinglongzhuang Town, Kazuo County (8 km from the county seat)

Contact Number: 0421-4838380