CHENGDU, CHINA - September 11: Artifact displayed in Jinsha site museum on September 11, 2010 in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China. (Photo by Lucas Schifres/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Jinsha Site Museum

Chengdu


In 2001 archaeologists made a historic discovery in Chengdu’s western suburbs: they unearthed a major site containing ruins of the 3000-year-old Shu kingdom. This excellent, expansive museum includes the excavation site and beautiful displays of many of the uncovered objects, which were created between 1200 and 600 BC.

The 6000 or so relics here include both functional and decorative items, from pottery and tools to jade artefacts, stone carvings and ornate gold masks. A large number of elephant tusks were also unearthed here.

Use exit C of the Jinsha Site Museum station on metro line 7; the ticket office is about 400m north.

An audio guide (in English) is ¥10 with a ¥200 deposit.

Transportation

  • metro: Jinsha Site Museum

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Chengdu attractions

1. Sichuan Museum

1.78 MILES

Aficionados of Chinese history will enjoy a stop here for a look at Sichuan's past through Shu-era calligraphy and painting, bronze works and ceramics,…

2. Tomb of Wang Jian

2.02 MILES

Built for Wang Jian (847–918), a general who rose to power following the collapse of the Tang dynasty to rule as emperor of the Shu kingdom, this above…

3. Qingyang Temple

2.13 MILES

Alongside Culture Park, this is Chengdu’s oldest and most extensive Taoist temple. Qingyang (Green Ram) Temple dates from the Zhou dynasty, although most…

4. Culture Park

2.17 MILES

A sprawling green park of ginkgo-lined paths, lotus-filled ponds (listen out for the massive frogs croaking happily away) and teahouses. There's also…

5. Chengdu Art Gallery

2.44 MILES

Rotating exhibitions of classical-style Chinese art in a traditionally styled courtyard building that's almost as artistic as the paintings within. It's a…

6. People’s Park

3.01 MILES

On weekends, locals fill this park with dancing, song and taichi. There’s a small, willow-tree-lined boating lake and a number of teahouses: He Ming…

7. Sichuan Art Museum

3.23 MILES

This six-floor museum is understaffed and understuffed, and the regular rotating exhibitions are hit or miss, but the good is good enough to make it worth…

8. Wuhou Temple

3.23 MILES

Located adjacent to Nanjiao Park and surrounded by mossy cypresses, this temple (rebuilt in 1672) honours several figures from the Three Kingdoms period,…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "china/sichuan/chengdu/attractions/jinsha-site-museum/a/poi-sig/1240326/356085",
      "destination": "Chengdu",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "China",
      "city": "Chengdu",
      "position": "superzone"
    }