The Guangfulin Cultural Relics Park is a must-see attraction at the Shanghai Sheshan National Tourist Resort – offering visitors the chance to explore the origins of Shanghai and the city's ancient way of life through a series of well-preserved artifacts.
A sweeping vista of the Guangfulin Cultural Relics Park. [photo/WeChat account: sheshanlvyoutopnews]
The historical site is a 4A-level scenic area – a very high designation indeed, with the highest in the country being 5A. It's located in the south of the resort in Songjiang district, about 30 kilometers away from downtown Shanghai.
Dubbed the "Root of Shanghai", the archaeological site – where relics of an ancient culture dating back to the Neolithic Age have been unearthed – is home to many ancient items left by inhabitants living in the area 5,000 years ago.
Exploration and excavations of the site started in 1999 when the archeology department of Shanghai Museum discovered a type of late Neolithic cultural relic.
This type of relic was discovered for the first time in the Taihu Lake area. In the ensuring years, remains from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 BC) to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) were discovered in the upper layer of the site.
The unearthed building materials included large-scale mortise and tenon rope pattern floor tiles, animal-face pattern tiles and bronze production tools – which proved that Guangfulin used to be a very important large settlement from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty to the Han Dynasty.
As a cultural, political, economic and transportation center in ancient times, Guangfulin's original surroundings have been preserved at the park so that tourists can explore the area's authentic rural scenery, agriculture and agrarian culture.
The park includes different exhibition areas showing folk culture, religious culture and local cultural heritage. Major venues there include the Guangfulin Cultural Museum and the Guangfulin Archaeological Site Exhibition Hall.
The Guangfulin Cultural Museum is located on Fulin Lake in the park. [photo/WeChat account: sheshanlvyoutopnews]
It features scenes depicting the archaeological memory of Guangfulin and the evolution of Shanghai's land formation.
The Guangfulin Archaeological Site Exhibition Hall is one of the major landmarks at the Guangfulin Relics Park. [photo/WeChat account: sheshanlvyoutopnews]
To the north of the park is the Guangfulin Archaeological Site Exhibition Hall, which features three sections of exhibitions themed respectively with "The Source of Civilization", "The Light of the City" and "The Veins of History". They are not only a display of cultural relics, but also reflect the results of academic research.
An exhibition themed on "The mystery of Shanhaijing" is currently on display at Guangfulin. [photo/WeChat account: sheshanlvyoutopnews]
Shanhaijing, or The Classic of Mountains and Seas, is an ancient Chinese text featuring myths, legends and geographical accounts. It has had a significant impact on Chinese literature and culture, providing insights into early Chinese mythology and cosmology.
The exhibition features paintings and sculptures representing scenes depicted in Shanhaijing and will run to the end of 2024.
