Published : 10/06/2025
Experience ancient Shu culture and mythical landscapes in one journey!
The new Sanxingdui-themed train from Chengdu links two iconic sites: the Sanxingdui ruins and Jiuzhaigou's fairy-tale scenery. Travel between history and nature in just two hours.
Sanxingdui Museum: exploring the mysteries of Ancient Shu
As one of the most representative ancient civilisation relics in Sichuan, Sanxingdui is the core of the ancient Shu civilisation.
The Sanxingdui Museum is a time tunnel that allows everyone to experience the ancient Shu civilisation across millennia.
The Sanxingdui Museum is located on the western side of Guanghan City, Chengdu, by the Duck River.
Built in 1997 and opened to the public, the new museum, completed in 2022, is situated in the central gate area north of the old museum. It has expanded five times in size, making it the largest ruins museum in southwest China.
Apart from its captivating shape resembling a pair of giant "Ancient Shu Eyes," the new Sanxingdui Museum is also home to an outstanding array of exhibited artifacts.
Across the three permanent exhibition halls, over 1,500 artifacts (sets) are displayed alongside multimedia installations: from exquisitely crafted golden masks and bronze castings to relics of mysterious rituals and evidence of complex social structures.
Together, they trace the life of the ancient Shu Kingdom, gradually unveiling the mysteries of this lost civilization.
Read more: A guide to explore the New Sanxingdui Museum
Jinsha Site Museum: experience the immortal legend of the Sun Bird
If the Sanxingdui Museum showcases the brilliance of the ancient Shu Kingdom at its peak, then the Jinsha Site Museum illustrates the continuation of the ancient Shu civilisation after Sanxingdui, hence making it well worth a visit too.
The Jinsha Site Museum is located on the Jinsha site in Chengdu and covers a total area of about 300,000 square meters.
The main structure of the museum features a unique sloping design with earthen covering, which resembles a corner of the earth being lifted and symbolises the awakening of a sleeping civilisation.
The museum's collection of artifacts is dazzling, with the "Sunbird Gold Ornament" being the crown jewel.
This gold foil ring, only 0.2 millimeters thick, intricately depicts the pattern of four divine birds flying around the sun using elaborate openwork techniques. It embodies the sun worship of the ancient Shu people.
Now, the "Four Birds Around the Sun" has become the "China Cultural Heritage Logo".
The museum's key artifacts also include the mysterious "Golden Mask" and the "Ten-Sectioned Jade Cong". Additionally, visitors can go to the relic hall to experience the real sacrificial pit excavation site, also an awe-inspiring spectacle.
Jiuzhaigou: a visual feast of a human paradise
After exploring the mysteries of the ancient Shu civilisation, we continue our journey northward on the Sanxingdui-themed train to witness the Jiuzhaigou wonders of nature's craftsmanship.
As the name suggests, Jiuzhaigou is named for the nine Tibetan villages within the valley. It is renowned for its five wonders:
Emerald seas, layered waterfalls, colourful forests, snow-capped mountains, and Tibetan customs. Jiuzhaigou showcases extreme beauty in different forms throughout the four seasons.
The dazzling highland lakes (sometimes referred to as Haizi by the locals) and the dynamic waterfalls are the two core attractions of Jiuzhaigou.
Each stunning site, such as the vast and deep Long Lake, the colour-changing Five-Flower Lake under sunshine, and the Nuorilang Waterfall, the widest highland travertine waterfall in China, offers a unique visual impact.
Read more: "Paradise on Earth" Huanglong: Why does the pool water change colours?
Huanglong Five-Colour Pool: a natural mineral wonder
Unlike the scattered Haizi in Jiuzhaigou, the Huanglong Scenic Area, located at a higher altitude, is known for its grand and magnificent travertine terrace landscape.
The Five-Colour Pool is the largest and most colourful terrace pond group in Huanglong. The mineral-rich water, influenced by sunlight, algae at the bottom of the pools, and travertine deposits, can display various hues of yellow, blue, and green.
Thousands of colourful pools, like scattered coloured glaze by immortals, unfold along the mountain slopes, truly epitomizing the "Human Paradise".
Besides the Multicoloured Pool, Huanglong, located at an altitude of over 3,000 meters, is also the only well-preserved highland wetland in China.
It boasts majestic and beautiful towering mountains, with various rare animals residing there, jointly forming a breathtakingly magnificent landscape.
This marks the perfect ending for this Sanxingdui-themed train journey!