Banpo Neolithic Village Museum

The Banpo Neolithic Village museum is built around a historical site consisting of the remains of a 6,000 year-old village once home to a matriarchal clan community. This ruin is six kilometers east of Xian. This excavated site of a village dates back to 4500 BC and was discovered in 1953. The village during this period was called Yangshao and 45 houses, 6 pottery kilns, 200 storage pits, 250 adult tombs and children burial jars, 10,000 tools and utensils were unearthed.

The distinct culture of these villagers was known as Yangshao culture. This kind of culture emphasizes the importance of women. So, there are more female tombs and graves here than male, and the women graves contain more objects and valuables than their male counterparts do.

From this museum, we have got some information of that age. The living section of Banpo Village occupied an area of 30,000 square meters. It was surrounded by a moat to protect the village against wild animals and floods. The largest among the remains of the 46 houses, located in the centre of the living area is possibly a meeting hall. There are cellars to store grain and tools outside the houses, and they illustrate the equal distribution and communal features of the society.  It is a fascinating peek at the birth of civilization.

Today, the site itself is pretty flat and uninspiring. It takes a lot of imagination to picture how this place used to be and the Disney-style "Yangshao Village" which has been reconstructed at the site makes this area less appealing.

Recommended Xian Tour: 4 Days Highlight of Xian Budget Tour
(Attractions: Qin Terracotta Army, Banpo Neolithic Village Museum, Xian City Wall, Shaanxi History Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda)