Erlitou

Erlitou is an archaeological site in Yanshi containing the remains of a major Bronze Age settlement with palace structures, living quarters, craft workshops, and burial areas. A museum opened on the grounds displays thousands of artifacts organized by themes from daily life and specialized production.

The site developed during the Bronze Age between roughly 1800 and 1600 BCE, when the largest settlement in East Asia at that time was built here. This period marks a crucial moment in early state formation and the rise of centralized authority in China.

Excavations revealed advanced bronze casting techniques, jade crafting workshops, and turquoise processing facilities that demonstrate early Chinese technological achievements.

Visitors should allow enough time to explore both the excavated foundations and the museum displays, as the grounds cover a large area. The best time to visit is during mild seasons when the weather is comfortable and pathways are easy to navigate.

The grounds contain some of the earliest known palaces in China with planned roads and drainage channels, showing how organized the settlement was. This layout was unusual for its time and suggests a highly developed administrative structure.