Visit to HPICHA and Museums at the Doorstep

"Teacher, is archaeology really about discovering gold and silver treasures like we see on TV?" "How did ancient people live, and what was this jar used for?" "Why are these plates broken—did people in the past break them?" These curious and imaginative questions were posed by a group of fifth-grade students from Chuangxin Road Zijing Primary School.

Recently，the Henan Provincial institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology (HPICHA) and the Chuangxin Road Zijing Primary School jointly carried out a public archaeological practice program. The event enabled children sitting in the classroom to visit museums at the doorstep, feel the charm of archaeology, understand the story behind the archaeology.

On the morning of October 21, the HPICHA welcomed a group of special visitors, that is, fifth-grade children from Chuangxin Road Zijing Primary School in Zhengzhou. First, the staff member responsible for guided interpretation systematically introduced the functions of the HPICHA and the basic knowledge of archaeology. Then, she led the children to visit the pottery, bronze and porcelain exhibition areas, where she introduced in detail the excavation process of these objects, and answered all the questions raised by the students.

Afterwards, the group proceeded to North Third Street in the Longhaimalu Subdistrict of Guancheng Hui District, a site steeped in the historical legacy of the Central Plains civilization. Along the street, they examined the cultural heritage walls, gaining insights into the artifacts displayed within.

This public archaeological practice program allowed the children to engage closely with a local museum and provided them with a fresh and accessible understanding of cultural heritage preservation and inheritance. The participants unanimously expressed that the activity addressed many of their questions about archaeology, helping them distinguish between the dramatized portrayals of archaeology in television shows and the authentic archaeological work, which was extremely beneficial.

(Author|Shi Yi Photo|Chuangxin Road Zijing Primary School Review |Shen Feng)