Yinxu, the Ruins of Yin

Yinxu is where the late Shang capital stood, and it is the reason the earliest Chinese writing can be read at all: tens of thousands of inscribed ox shoulder blades and turtle shells came out of pits here, recording questions put to ancestors about harvests, weather and childbirth. Above ground the site is quiet and green, with rammed earth reconstructions marking the palace and temple foundations, roofed excavation pits, and chariot burials left in place with horse skeletons and wheel ruts still legible in the soil. The royal cemetery across the river includes the tomb of Fu Hao, found intact and full of bronze vessels and jades.

What you actually see

• The oracle bone pits - the excavated deposits, with inscribed shells and bones shown in the museum.
• The chariot burials - wooden chariots and horse remains left in the ground under a shelter.
• The tomb of Fu Hao - a royal burial found undisturbed, with its bronzes and jades displayed.
• The bronze collection - ritual vessels cast with taotie masks, the high point of Shang metalwork.

When to go

Spring and autumn are comfortable; the site is flat, open and hot in summer. It is rarely crowded outside Chinese school holidays. Two to three hours covers the palace area and the museum, plus a short drive to the royal cemetery. English labelling is limited, so an audio guide or some reading beforehand helps a great deal.

Honest expectations

There is not much to look at above ground: foundations, lawns, modern reconstructions and covered pits. The interest lies almost entirely in what the objects mean, and the displays assume you already know the outline of Shang history. The two main areas are separated by a drive. Anyang itself is an ordinary industrial city with little else for visitors.

Nearby

The Chinese Character Museum in Anyang follows the writing first found here.