NCHA Key Scientific Research Base for Urban Archaeology and Heritage Protection Kaifeng Workstation Officially Unveiled

On January 4, the unveiling ceremony of the Kaifeng Workstation of the Key Scientific Research Base for Urban Archaeology and Heritage Protection under the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA), the Henan Provincial Base (Kaifeng) for Integration and Innovation of Culture, Tourism, and Creative Cultural Products, the Kaifeng Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology (KMICHA), and the Kaifeng Song Culture Inheritance and Protection Center was held in the newly formed KMICHA.

Liu Haiwang, Director of the NCHA Key Scientific Research Base for Urban Archaeology and Heritage Protection, expressed his heartfelt congratulations on the establishment of the above institutions. Regarding the establishment of the Kaifeng Workstation, he pointed out that cities stand as one of the most significant hallmarks of the emergence of human civilization and the most concentrated carrier of human civilization. Kaifeng served as the capital of eight dynasties in Chinese history. The Dongjing City in the Northern Song Dynasty marks an important turning point in the history of the development of ancient Chinese capitals and cities, setting the precedent for a prosperous city with an open economy and culture. The layout of Dongjing had a greater impact on the layout of the Zhongjing City in the Liao Dynasty, the Zhongdu City in the Jin Dynasty, the Khanbaliq Dadu in the Yuan Dynasty, and the Beijing City in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is a witness to the significant development of Chinese civilization from the 10th to 12th centuries (movable type, the compass, and gunpowder were invented in the Song Dynasty). Meanwhile, Kaifeng was also the world’s largest city with the highest level of economic and cultural development at that time. Protecting, discovering, and displaying the ancient city of Kaifeng, an extremely valuable historical and cultural heritage, is a historical mission and responsibility that Kaifeng and Henan must fulfill. The establishment of the Kaifeng workstation aims to incorporate the archaeological research and protection of Dongjing City, one of the large-scale sites under national key protection to better guide the coordinated development of urban construction and cultural heritage conservation.

Liu Haiwang, Director of the HPICHA, delivers a speech.

In recent years, Kaifeng is facing unprecedented historical opportunities in urban archaeology, protection and use. Due to the thick siltation caused by the Yellow River floods, the archaeological work on the Northern Song Dynasty’s Dongjing City is highly challenging. There are still many gaps in our understanding and research. Additionally, it is more difficult to effectively display and utilize the findings. However, it is very gratifying that in the past ten years, a series of breakthroughs have been achieved in the urban archaeology of Dongjing City.The excavation of the Shuntianmen site, Lord Yongning’s Mansion site of the Ming Dynasty, the Zhouqiao Bridge, and the Bianhe River sites marks that urban archaeology in Dongjing has entered a golden period. In particular, the excavation of the Zhouqiao Bridge site has garnered widespread attention from society. The massive auspicious stone mural of the Northern Song Dynasty presented the grand scene of a hustling and bustling Imperial Street.

Shuntianmen Main Entrance Excavation Panorama

An auspicious stone mural discovered at the Zhouqiao Bridge site

The NCHA Key Scientific Research Base for Urban Archaeology and Heritage Protection is the only national archaeological scientific research base focusing on the conservation and use of urban cultural heritage. It was approved by the NCHA at the end of 2016, organized by the Henan Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage, and established by relying on the KICHA. It is committed to the exploration and summarization of philosophy, methods, and experiences related to archaeology, conservation, and utilization of ancient cities lying beneath modern cities. The scientific research base has set up Shangqiu and Luoyang workstations in October 2020 and December 2021, respectively. The establishment of the Kaifeng workstation is of great significance to further strengthen the archaeology and protection of Dongjing City in the Northern Song Dynasty and cities in areas formerly flooded by the Yellow River represented by Kaifeng.

(Author|Yang Shugang Photo|Wang Sanying Zhou Runshan Review|Liu Haiwang)