????Chinese archaeologists have unearthed the largest and best protected ancient ruins in the country.

????A year's work by the Archaeological Institute of the China Academy of Social Sciences, Shaanxi Provincial Archaeological Institute and the archaeological team of Peking University has brought to light the ruins in Fufeng County, Shaanxi Province, which is believed to have been built in the Western Zhou Dynasty (BC1100-BC771).

????"The discovery of this ancient ruins has great significance for research into the etiquette system in the Western Zhou Dynasty," Xu said.

????Fufeng County was the capital of the Western Zhou Dynasty, and the ruins cover an area of 2,000 square meters. Archaeologists have unearthed the ruins of palaces, gate houses, main halls and side halls and a large number of cultural relics, the researcher said.

????Some 200 kilometers west of Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi and one of the hottest tourism spots in the world, the ruins have been protected very well and are important for archaeological research and for tourism, the researcher said.

(China Daily 11/23/2000)