Archeologists have discovered 619 cultural relics sites covering 43 categories in Zhaoqing in the recent third national cultural relics census, the cultural relics department of Zhaoqing City reported.

Archeologists have discovered 619 cultural relics sites covering 43 categories in Zhaoqing, ancient capital of Lingnan (an ancient area incorporating today’s Guangdong, Guangxi and parts of Hunan and Jiangxi provinces) in the recent third national cultural relics census, the cultural relics department of Zhaoqing City reported.

Luxiang, a well-preserved Qing Dynasty village, was also found in Sihui of Zhaoqing. There are seven relics sites representing the best preserved and biggest ancestral hall in Sihui. They consist of an ancestral hall, a memorial temple, a study room, a flagstone walk, Baisha pier and an ancient well.

An intact Qing Dynasty ancestral hall has also been uncovered in Dagang village, Fengkai County. Its unique building structure, fancy woodcarving, colored frescos and vivid stone sculpture have high archeological value.

Zhaoqing city, where a human tooth fossil dating back to 148,000 years ago was found, has a history of 2,200 years. Cantonese was born here.

The city sits on the place where Lingnan aboriginal culture and central Chinese culture interacted. Western culture entered the Chinese mainland from Macau via this city.

As a city abundant in cultural relics, Zhaoqing now has more than 360 sites of relics and about 70 sites of them have high historical, artistic and scientific value.

(China.org.cn by Ren Zhongxi, July 10, 2009)