🇨🇳 China · Ancient village
Jinsha River Gold Mask Pit
Neolithic to Iron Age (6000 BCE–500 CE) · Neolithic
Jinsha River Gold Mask Pit in Sichuan, Chengdu, China is a Neolithic to Iron Age (6000 BCE–500 CE) ancient village attributed to Neolithic.
🇨🇳 China · Ancient village
Bashidang
Pengtoushan late 7000–5000 BCE → Zaoshi 5800–5000 BCE · Pengtoushan (Middle Yangzi late) → Zaoshi transitional
Moated Neolithic town (c.7000–5000 BCE, Pengtoushan culture late phase) at Bashidang on the Li River swamp south of Pengtoushan — 3 ha circular settlement with earthen wall and ditch, excavated…
🇨🇳 China · Ancient city
Western Henan Citadel B — Henan, Erlitou (54-48)
Bronze Age (regional) · Bronze Age
Western Henan Citadel B — Henan, Erlitou (54-48) at Henan, Erlitou, China is a Bronze Age (regional) ancient city of the Bronze Age tradition, built c. 800 CE for citadel and associated settlement.
🇨🇳 China · Ancient city
Panlongcheng Archaeological Site
Early Shang Erligang phase 1600–1300 BCE · Shang (Erligang) colonists over indigenous Yangtze
Earliest Shang walled town south of the Yellow River (c.1600–1300 BCE) at Panlong Lake north of Wuhan, proving Early Shang (Erligang phase) military–resource colonization 800 km south to control…
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves
Gaochang to Yuan 500–1300 CE · Uyghur Buddhist (ancient Uyghur–Tocharian)
Turpan depression Uyghur Buddhist cliff with 77 donor-portrait caves below sea level.
🇨🇳 China · Ancient city
Sanxingdui — Pit 3 Bronze Mask Deposit
Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) · Bronze Age urban
Sanxingdui — Pit 3 Bronze Mask Deposit in Sichuan, Guanghan, Sanxingdui, China is a Bronze Age to Classical (3000 BCE–500 CE) ancient city attributed to Br…
🇨🇳 China · Tomb
Yinxu — Royal Tomb Xibeigang West Pit (Anyang)
Old to Middle Kingdom (2700–1800 BCE) · Old–New Kingdom Egyptian
Yinxu — Royal Tomb Xibeigang West Pit (Anyang) in Henan, Anyang, Yinxu, China is a Old to Middle Kingdom (2700–1800 BCE) tomb attributed to Old–New Kingdom…
🇨🇳 China · Pyramid
Goguryeo Pyramidal Tombs – Jian (Ji'an)
Goguryeo Kingdom 37 BCE–668 CE (pyramids 3–7 c CE peak) · Goguryeo (Korean–Chinese proto-state)
Eastern Asia's largest tumulus pyramid cluster: 7,000+ stone step-pyramids and earthen mounds 3 Kingdoms Goguryeo (37 BCE–668 CE) across Ji'an (Tonggou, Guonei) and DPRK Pyongyang cluster.
🇨🇳 China · Temple complex
Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains
Tang → Yuan → Ming Yongle peak → Qing · Taoist (Zhenwu / Xuanwu school)
Taoist sacred mountain complex on 72 peaks 800–1612 m, 9 palaces, 36 convents and 72 cliff temples built primarily 1412–1424 under Ming Yongle emperor (200,000 artisans) as political legitimation…
🇨🇳 China · Temple complex
Bingling Temple Grottoes
Sixteen Kingdoms → Qing 420–1911 · Buddhist (Hexi Silk Road)
Yellow River gorge sanctuary of 183 caves and 694 statues cut into 60 m yellow sandstone cliff above reservoir since 420 CE (Western Qin) to Qing, famous for 27 m Maitreya Buddha (Tang) carved from…
🇨🇳 China · Archaeological wonder
Badaling Great Wall
Ming Dynasty 1505 (Jiajing) rebuild over Northern Qi core · Ming Han Chinese
Best-preserved Ming Great Wall pass (1505) at 1,015 m Juyongguan defile north of Beijing, 7.8 m high crenellated brick-stone ramparts with 19 watchtowers, widened for five horses abreast and beacon…
🇨🇳 China · Megalith
Stele of Gwanggaeto — Ji'an Memorial Inscription
Goguryeo (414 CE erected) · Goguryeo (King Jangsu for Gwanggaeto)
Ji'an 414 CE stele re-discovered 1875, textual key to 4th-c Korea-Manchuria-Japan, UNESCO buffer.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Xumishan (Sumeru Mountain) Grottoes — Guyuan
Northern Wei to Tang (Northern Dynasties 386–581 to Tang) · Northern Wei Tuoba Xianbei then Sui–Tang Han Chinese Buddhist; Guyuan Silk Road garrison
Ningxia 162 caves 5th–9th c. with 20.6-m Dafo Tang colossus tower and Northern Wei apsaras, Liupan Silk gate.
🇨🇳 China · Rock art
Huaishan Rock Petroglyphs — Zhongwei
Bronze Age to Mongol (Xixia 1038–1227 peak) · Northern nomads (Proto-Mongolic, Xiongnu, Xianbei, Xixia Tangut, Mongol)
Helan southernmost Huaishan 800 ibex and shaman faces on Yellow River Tengger bend, Bronze–Xixia patina.
🇨🇳 China · Ancient village
Shangshan
Shangshan culture 9000–7000 BCE → Kuahuqiao (8500–7700) → Hemudu · Shangshan (Lower Yangzi earliest Neolithic, Pre-Yangshao)
Type-site for Shangshan culture (c.11000–9000 BP, 9000–7000 BCE) at Huangzhai near Pujiang, Zhejiang — earliest Neolithic in the Lower Yangzi (currently oldest pottery in Zhejiang), excavated 2001–06…
🇨🇳 China · Ancient city
Chengtoushan
Daxi (5500–3300) → Qujialing → Shijiahe 5500–2300 BCE · Daxi → Qujialing → Shijiahe (Middle Yangzi walled cities)
Earliest walled rice city in China (c.5500–3000 BCE) at Chengtoushan plateau on the Liyang Plain near Li County — 8 ha fortified town with 3 m rammed-earth wall 800 m diameter and outer moat,…
🇨🇳 China · Rock art
Helan Mountains Suyukou South Rock Art
Early Bronze to Yuan · Qiang, Xiongnu, Xianbei, Mongol (Helan corridor pastoralists)
South Suyukou gully 4 km south of Helankou with 600 shamanic mask petroglyphs.
🇨🇳 China · Rock art
Kangjiashimenzi Petroglyphs
Bronze Age to Early Iron Age (2000–500 BCE) · Andronovo-related Chemurchek, early nomadic Saka/Xiongnu
Northern Tianshan schist cliff 120-m with masked shaman fertility dance 1000 BCE.
🇨🇳 China · Rock art
Zuojiang Huashan West Chongzuo Rock Art
Bronze Age to Han · Luoyue / Lạc Việt (ancient Zhuang ancestors), Dian periphery
West bank cliff opposite main Hua Mountain with bronze-drum anthropomorph sequence.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Tianlongshan Western Grottoes — Shanxi Western Cliff
Northern Dynasties to Tang · Northern Qi–Tang northern Shanxi Buddhist
Taiyuan Heavenly Dragon western 8-cave extension 560–750 with 1924 removal and scaffolding holes.
🇨🇳 China · Temple complex
Maijishan Western Cliff Grottoes
Sixteen Kingdoms to Song · Later Qin, Northern Wei, Western Wei, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song
Sheer west face 80 m with 72 hanging grottoes on plank balconies — Maijishan postcard cliff.
🇨🇳 China · Temple complex
Bingling Temple Upper Gorge Grottoes
Sixteen Kingdoms to Early Tang · Western Qin, Northern Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang
8-km-upstream Western Qin cliff with 420 CE earliest murals above reservoir.
🇨🇳 China · Temple complex
Tianlongshan North Manshan Grottoes
Tang (post-An Lushan) · Late Tang Jiedushi patronised Buddhist
North spur 8-cave late Tang group with Tianlong's only caitya pillar and wet-drape naturalism.
🇨🇳 China · Hydraulic works
Turpan Shengjinkou Karez Gorge Head (Shengjinkou Gorge Karez System)
Han to Qing continuum (200 BCE–1900 CE) karez re-use · Gaochang / Uyghur oasis
Gorge-head karez at Shengjinkou Yardang Gorge mouth northwest Turpan Depression (−45 m, below sea level, unique globally).