00:00In China, the preservation of an archaeological site dating back more than 5,000 years is going beyond archaeology,
00:06connecting with culture, economic development and society.
00:10From Anhui, Bruno Fauci presents the following report.
00:15In Hanshan County, in Anhui Province, lies Lingjiangtan,
00:20one of the main neolithic settlements in the lower reaches of the Yancei River.
00:25Lingjiangtan dates back 5,300 to 5,800 years,
00:31and its discovery has contributed to expanding our understanding of the origins of the Chinese civilization.
00:38Today, its remains and archaeological artifacts can be explored at a museum built alongside the site.
00:47The Lingjiangtan Site Museum officially opened its doors on May 16, 2025,
00:52so it has now been opened to the public for just over a year.
00:55The building features a cross-shaped courtyard design,
00:57symbolizing the role Lingjiangtan has played from ancient times to the present
01:01as a point connecting different regions.
01:03The museum covers an area of 20,000 square meters,
01:06with a total built-up area of 11,000 square meters and 4,000 square meters dedicated to exhibitions.
01:12Its galleries display more than 1,000 pieces of great historical value.
01:16The creation of the Lingjiangtan Site Museum is part of China's national program for the protection
01:23and development of major archaeological sites.
01:27Included in the country's 14 five-year plan,
01:30the museum seeks to bring the results of archaeological research closer to the public
01:36and turn this heritage site into a new reference point for education, cultural outreach,
01:43and exchange among civilizations.
01:46Since the first excavation, carried out in 1987,
01:49we have conducted a total of 17 archaeological campaigns.
01:53Throughout this process, nearly 4,000 artifacts have been recovered,
01:57including musical instruments, pottery, and other objects.
02:00Today, the museum displays more than 1,000 of them.
02:03Among the most representative jade pieces are the jade dragon,
02:06human figures, the eagle and the turtle, considered true treasures of the museum.
02:10We also have large jade beads,
02:12since jade has traditionally been a symbol of wealth in China.
02:17The promotion of this heritage has also created new opportunities for the local economy.
02:24Since the opening of the park,
02:25Lin Jantan has received around one million and a half visitors
02:30and generated some 200 million yuan in revenue,
02:35attracting tourists from around the world.
02:38It's not a quote, per se, of Xi Jinping,
02:40but I believe he said something along the lines
02:43that China has been trying to build up the Chinese civilization
02:48in the sense of economics and society and fairness for people
02:52and the idea of to be a leader that others can follow
02:56so that other civilizations are able to build up themselves
02:59and all around the world in a kind of global pursuit of development.
03:03And I suppose this is kind of symbolic of that.
03:05You do have the rich here and you have the poorer members of society
03:09or the workers in the other parts there.
03:12It's kind of that reminder that at the end of it,
03:14we're just, we're all in this together.
03:16The preservation of Lin Jantan is part of a broader policy
03:20to protect and transmit China's traditional culture,
03:24as part of what the Communist Party of China calls the building
03:28of a socialist cultural powerhouse.
03:31More than 5,000 years later,
03:33the heritage connects the memory of Chinese civilization
03:37with the country's development project for the future.
03:41Fauci, Han Shan, China, for Telesur.
