The Xihoudu site in Ruicheng county, Yuncheng, Shanxi province, has been included in the list of national archaeological site parks, marking a new milestone in the site's conservation and utilization efforts.

The significance of Xihoudu lies in its archaeological discoveries that push back the history of ancient humans using fire by 1.73 million years, preceding the Peking Man of Zhoukoudian, which dates back 700,000 years.

The Xihoudu site. [Photo/Yellow River News]

In addition to fire remnants, the site has unearthed a large number of stone artifacts, including flakes, chopping tools, and scrapers, as well as 22 fossil species of ancient vertebrates, providing crucial physical evidence for studying early human production methods, survival strategies, and evolutionary processes.

In recent years, Ruicheng has achieved considerable results in systematic protection, the innovative integration of culture and tourism, and academic research by strengthening the management and effective utilization of cultural relics.

The county plans to construct areas covering core exhibition, management service, archaeological reserve, and folk culture display, aiming to build the Xihoudu site into a key Paleolithic archaeological demonstration park.