Haihun relics park to display archaeological treasures of Han Dynasty

A new national-level archeological park offering visitors an immersive journey into the past had its grand opening in Nanchang, East China's Jiangxi province, on Wednesday.

The Nanchang Relics Park of the Haihun Principality of the Han Dynasty has been constructed at a typical settlement site of a principality during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), thanks to its complete structure and rich archaeological content.

The excavation of the site began in 2011, and the remains of Liu He, known as the Marquis of Haihun, were found in a coffin, in an interior chamber. They were removed in January 2016 for further research.

After about nine years of archaeological excavation, more than 10,000 precious cultural relics had been unearthed at the site.

Han culture is an important part of Nanchang's history and culture, and the relics park protects and showcases this important historical and cultural legacy. It is of great significance to the promotion of the city's image, local officials said.

Nanchang has spared no effort in promoting the construction of the Haihun Principality relics park and creative presentation of this historic culture. These efforts are designed to forge a cultural brand for Jiangxi, according to the local government.

Xin Lixiang, a veteran archaeologist with the National Museum of China, said the ruins and the relics uncovered are a precious national and world-level historical heritage discovery.

"It is expected that the Haihun Principality relics park will attract the attention of the whole country and even the world," Xin said.

The relics park situated by the side of Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake, has a planned area of 12.03 square kilometers and will integrate the conservation of relics with a cultural visitor experience and ecological tourism.

Without any interpretation or transformation of the archaeological research results, visitors would not really understand what they're looking at. The relics park offers a means for them to gain a better appreciation of the site and its relics, local officials said.

Archaeological work is usually carried out in isolation, with the public excluded from the site being excavated.

However, the archaeological work and exhibits in the park are synchronized and allow visitors to experience the beauty of historic relics and see for themselves the archaeological research.

To improve the visitor experience, the relics park offers a variety of distinctive activities and different tour routes.

At the park's visitor service center, guests can experience the performance of the Haihun chime. They can also experience the on-site excavation work and see how the cultural relics are carefully restored.

In addition, a series of themed activities will be held during the coming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays from Oct 1 to 8, including a Han Dynasty food festival and a Han Dynasty monetary culture exhibition, aimed at immersing visitors in the past with an authentic experience of the Haihun culture of the Han Dynasty.

The museum in the relics park consists of four exhibition areas and displays more than 1,200 unearthed artifacts. Covering an area of 11.99 hectares, it has a total floor area of 39,330 square meters that feature exhibition, cultural exchange, cultural relics storage, archaeological research and protection and management service function areas.

Using interactive multimedia technologies, the four exhibition areas allow visitors to learn more about the archaeological research results.

In line with the government's epidemic prevention and control requirements, visitors must make reservations in advance to visit the park that opens from 9 am to 5 pm. During the first-month trial operation period, the number of reservations will be capped at 6,000.

With the construction experience accumulated in the first phase of the project, Nanchang is accelerating the construction of the second phase of the park, which will comprise a new batch of cultural tourism projects, according to local officials.