At Erlitou, touch the pulse of "the earliest China"

On the land of Yanshi, Luoyang, Henan, lies a place that can make "history textbooks come alive"—the Erlitou site. When you stand on this land, the ground beneath your feet may be the ancient capital site of the Xia Dynasty from over 3,000 years ago. That feeling of having a remote dialogue with "the earliest China" instantly pulls you into the flow of time. 🏺 Step into the Erlitou Xia Capital Site Museum, and the first things to catch your eye are those artifacts bearing the marks of time. The turquoise dragon-shaped vessel looks like a sleeping spirit; the greenish turquoise pieces form the shape of a dragon, softly glowing under the light. There is also the simple bronze jue (wine vessel), which, although lacking the intricate patterns of later bronzes, carries a primitive solemnity, as if you can see the ancient people using it to hold wine for sacrifices. The palace foundation in the site area is even more striking—the huge rammed earth platform lies quietly there. Imagining the grandeur of the palace back then, you can vaguely touch the earliest outlines of the dynasty’s civilization. 🌿 The wind blowing through the site park carries the scent of earth and history. Walking slowly along the traces of archaeological excavation, it seems as if you can see archaeologists carefully clearing soil layers and uncovering the true faces of the relics. There is no excessive decoration here, just the site itself in its authentic form. It is this "original and unaltered" feeling that most powerfully conveys the weight of the "source of dynastic civilization"—the seeds of civilization took root and sprouted little by little on this very land. From artifacts to architecture, from the site to the museum, Erlitou clearly presents the image of "the earliest China" right before your eyes. Visiting here is like personally turning the first page of the era of Chinese civilization’s dynasties—profound and magical.