The rebuilt Nantou Ancient City Museum opened Wednesday displaying for the first time 300 precious ancient artifacts.

The building was the home of the former Bao'an County People's Government.

The district government spent 1.5 million yuan (US$180,000) rebuilding the museum as part of a renovation campaign for the ancient city.

Most of the artifacts on display were chosen from more than 3,000 antiques excavated at the ancient city and Wubeiling between November 2001 and November 2002.

The Wubeiling discovery, dating back as early as the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC-1100 BC), was regarded as one of China's top 10 archaeological discoveries in 2001.

A board inscribed by well-known Hong Kong martial arts novelist Jin Yong was placed at the entrance of the museum.

Jin Yong was chosen to write the name of the museum because of his application to the study of Chinese history after he stopped writing martial arts novels and because the ancient city is closely related to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

High-tech 3-D animated films are used to illustrate the history of the ancient city.

First built in the year 331, Nantou Ancient City is a designated provincial heritage site where there are historic records of Shenzhen's evolution and relationship with Hong Kong.

Shenzhen is known for its quick economic development since the 1980s.

However, archaeologists have proved that the city has its own "roots" with a series of important archaeological discoveries in recent years.

Admission to the museum in Nanshan District is 20 yuan (US$2.4) per head.

Visitors can take buses running to Shekou to get to the museum.

 (Shenzhen Daily September 30, 2004)