Shenyang, Aug. 9 (Xinhua)

New archaeological discoveries at the Niuheliang site in northeast China’s Liaoning Province are providing fresh insights into the origins of Chinese civilization, revealing how people more than 5,000 years ago understood the cosmos, organized society and expressed their spiritual beliefs.

Dating back roughly 5,000 to 5,800 years, the Niuheliang site in Chaoyang was discovered in 1981 and is regarded as a landmark in research on the Hongshan culture. Archaeologists describe it as a large prehistoric religious and burial complex, centered on a goddess temple and surrounded by altars and stone tombs, rather than a conventional residential settlement.

Recent excavations have identified nine large platforms and associated structures, outlining an extensive ancient complex covering approximately 100,000 square meters.

Jia Xiaobing, head of the excavation project and a researcher with the Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said seven neatly arranged pits containing burnt soil were discovered on one platform. Their arrangement resembles the Big Dipper, suggesting that Hongshan communities may have incorporated observations of the night sky into their ritual practices.

At another location, archaeologists uncovered a triple-ring circular altar measuring up to 22 meters in diameter. Researchers believe its three levels may correspond to important points in the solar year — the winter solstice, the spring and autumn equinoxes, and the summer solstice.

According to Jia, the altar and the star-shaped arrangement of pits demonstrate that Hongshan people observed celestial movements, tracked seasonal changes and developed a profound reverence for nature and the cosmos. These discoveries may also help explain the origins of ritual traditions that later became important in Chinese civilization.

Research into the Hongshan culture has intensified following discoveries across western Liaoning, northern Hebei and eastern Inner Mongolia. Among the most remarkable finds are finely crafted jade objects depicting dragons, phoenixes and human figures.

Wang Wei, another CASS researcher, said jade gradually moved beyond being valued for its beauty and became a means of connecting with the divine, ultimately symbolizing status, authority and belief.

The Hongshan culture, named after a “red mountain,” was first identified in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, in 1935. Liaoning was later recognized as its core distribution area and a major center for archaeological research.

Shahbaz Khan, director of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, described Hongshan heritage as an important chapter in human development, highlighting its ritual architecture and sophisticated jade craftsmanship.

International scholars and diplomats attending the 2026 Conference on Hongshan Culture also emphasized its wider global significance. Representatives from more than 20 countries and international organizations participated, with speakers from Egypt and Greece drawing parallels between Hongshan and other ancient civilizations.

Egyptian Ambassador to China Khaled Nazmy noted growing cooperation between China and Egypt in museum exchanges, heritage conservation and joint archaeological work. Greek diplomat Eirini Anastopoulou, meanwhile, called for more international exhibitions to introduce Hongshan culture to audiences worldwide.

The growing international interest reflects a broader recognition of Hongshan as an important part of humanity’s shared archaeological and cultural heritage.