Locals and tourists in China's southwestern Sichuan Province will have a chance to view close-up the ruins of an ancient kingdom and taste the ancient culture, dating back 2,800 to 4,800 years, as a park will be completed at the ruins of Sanxingdui by the end of the year.

Construction on the 400-million-yuan (about US$48.36 million) park is going on smoothly, said Han Shuchun, general manager of the Sanxingdui Cultural Tourism Co., Ltd.

Sanxingdui, located near present-day Guanghan city on the Chengdu Plain, covers 12 square kilometers and is the site of the earliest and largest ruins of the ancient Shu people discovered in China.

Archaeologists have excavated city walls, with an average height of three to five meters and the highest being six meters, sacrificial pits, ruins of residences, tombs, jade and stone pits as well as bronze ware such as big masks and figurines at the site.

Excavation of the city walls has provided powerful evidence to support the claim of some archaeologists that Sanxingdui was the capital of the ancient Shu Kingdom, in fact as well as legend.

Han, the general manager, said the six-sq-km park was located in the Sanxingdui Ancient Ruins International Cultural Tourism Zone. Previously, a museum and a scenic zone had been set up inside the tourism zone.

While enjoying an ancient culture in the park, visitors can also imitate archaeologists' excavations and attend religious activities and sacrificial rituals formerly performed by ancients.

(China Daily March 1, 2004)