The information contained here are subject to change. Chinese History Digest is not responsible or liable if any changes should occur. If you can read Chinese, you can also check the official website of the Yangshao Culture Museum for the latest information.

exhibit about the Yangshao culture at the Yangshao Culture Museum in Mianchi CountyAs their name already implies, the Yangshao Site and the adjacent Yangshao Culture Museum are associated with the Yangshao culture. This neolithic culture lasted for about 2000 years from around 5000 BC until about 3000 BC. It is undoubtedly one of the most important cultures that existed in China during prehistoric times. Due to the beautifully decorated pottery it produced, the Yangshao culture is also known as Painted Pottery Culture. More than 1000 Yangshao culture sites have so far been discovered in the area around the middle reaches of the Yellow River.

Among all these sites, the Yangshao Site holds a special place of prominence due to the fact that it was discovered first. It is located about 9km north of Mianchi County in the central province of Henan. The site is however neither the biggest nor the most visited Yangshao culture site. The latter distinction is probably held by the Banpo village site which is the main attraction of the Banpo Museum in Xi'an.

partial view of the actual excavation zone at the Yangshao SiteThe Yangshao Site covers a total area of about 300,000 square meters. Excavation of the site began in 1921, just one year after the first ancient relics had been discovered near Yangshao village. It was the prominent Swedish archeologist Johan Gunnar Andersson, the discoverer of the world-famous Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian, who led these early excavation efforts. The Yangshao culture ruins were then excavated again for a second and third time in 1951 and 1980. The fourth exploration of the Yangshao Site began in 2020 and is currently still ongoing.

A large number of ancient cultural relics were unearthed during these excavations. The most spectacular among the discovered items are undoubtedly the pieces of Yangshao pottery such as bowls, cups, basins, pots and jars. Most of the distinctive red Yangshao pottery is decorated with colored drawings of animals, geometric patterns or other designs. Pottery-making tools and various stone and bone tools were unearthed at the Yangshao Site as well.

picture of Johan Gunnar Andersson (2nd from left) behind pottery exhibitsThousands of all the discovered prehistoric relics are now on display at the modern Yangshao Culture Museum that opened its doors to the public in 2011. It is located just about 200m north of the Yangshao Site. However, the most exquisite pieces of Yangshao pottery that were discovered at the site are on display at the National Museum of China in Beijing and the Henan Museum in Zhengzhou.

Still, there are about 4,000 cultural relics on display at the Yangshao Culture Museum. A thorough visit of the museum and its outdoor area can therefore be expected to take about 2 - 3 hours. Each of the museum's three exhibition halls has a distinct theme. One of the halls showcases the relics that were uncovered during the three earlier excavations of the Yangshao Site. The work and achievements of the Swedish archeologist Johan Gunnar Andersson are then the theme of another hall. The purpose of the third hall then is to inform visitors about the other Yangshao culture sites in Henan province. The ancient relics that are on display at this hall of the Yangshao Culture Museum were all unearthed at these other sites.

partial view of the Yangshao Village National Archaeological ParkUnsurprisingly, Yangshao pottery of various types and functions makes up the lion's share of the exhibits but many outstanding stone and bone tools are featured as well. Despite the large number of exhibited pottery pieces, there are no identical or even similar-looking exhibits. Each displayed piece of painted Yangshao pottery is totally unique in the way it was designed and decorated.

A visit of the Yangshao Site and Yangshao Culture Museum is not limited to the exhibition halls of the museum though. The area to the south of the museum has been converted into the Yangshao Village National Archaeological Park. Walking around this beautifully landscaped park is especially pleasant in spring and summer when the myriad of blooming flowers make it look more like a garden. In one area of the park, you will also be able to see the actual excavation site.

Yangshao pottery on display at the museumSo what is the best way to get to the Yangshao Site and Yangshao Culture Museum in Mianchi County? This former remote part of Henan province is nowadays conveniently accessible by high-speed train. In fact, it takes less than 20 minutes to reach the Mianchi South Railway Station from either the Longmen Railway Station in Luoyang or the South Railway Station in Sanmenxia. Travelling to Mianchi County by train from Zhengzhou is feasible as well and takes about an hour. The 22-kilometer-trip by taxi from the Mianchi South Railway Station to the Yangshao culture site and museum in Yangshao village then won't cost that much as taxi fares in rural areas of China are much lower than in the big developed cities. Taking a public bus outside the Mianchi South Railway Station is also an option but you would have to change from one bus line to another along the way to get to the Yangshao Culture Museum.

The Juchen International Hotel (which is still marked as the Zhongzhou International Hotel on old maps) is the best place for an overnight stay in Mianchi County. It is located only about 7km away from the Yangshao Culture Museum and you can read a thorough review of its services and amenities further down on this page. However, making the ancient capital Luoyang your base of exploration would have the benefit of being close to the world-famous Longmen Grottoes that are also featured in the historic sights section of this website.

view of the Yangshao Culture Museum in Mianchi County, Henan

How to get to the Yangshao Culture Museum in Mianchi County?

On the following Google map, you can see the location of the Yangshao Culture Museum (the blue icon) and the Juchen International Hotel (the yellow hotel bed icon) which is the best hotel in Mianchi County. Zoom out of the map to see the location of the Luoyang Ease House in Luoyang and the Hailian International Hotel in Sanmenxia. Further below on this page, you can read a review of the services and amenities of all these hotels. In case you are planning a trip to China, you could support this website by using the provided affiliate links to check prices and book your hotel accomodation!

You can book hotels in China with both of our affiliate partners Agoda and Trip.com. No matter whether you choose Agoda or Trip.com, you will find many offers on each of these platforms that will allow you to make a risk-free booking with the possibility of free cancellation until a clearly stated date and time, sometimes as late as on the intended date of arrival. However, some deals require prepayment and don't permit cancellation without fees. In that case, the incurred cancellation fees are clearly stated.

When following an Agoda link, the search results will show you prices, availability and special offers for your chosen dates with the recommended hotel in the top search position as well as for other hotels in the same area. Links to Trip.com will take you to the specific hotel webpage where you can then search for availability, prices and special deals with your chosen dates.

The provided information was thoroughly researched from various hotel booking websites. Chinese History Digest is not responsible if any information regarding the provided services and amenities might have changed.

Recommended Hotel near the Yangshao Site

The Juchen International Hotel that is reviewed below is the closest 4-star hotel to the Yangshao Site. As already mentioned earlier on this page, it is located in Mianchi County about 7km away from the Yangshao Culture Museum. The Yangshao Site lies inside the Yangshao Village National Archaeological Park about 200 meters south of the museum. In addition to the links to Agoda that are used in the review below, the Juchen International Hotel is also available for booking on Trip.com by following this link.

Recommended Hotel in Luoyang

The 4-star Luoyang Ease House that is reviewed below is located near Luoyang's city center. Convenient transportation to the airport and the high-speed Longmen Railway Station is available from its location. You can book train tickets for the short 20-minute-trip from this railway station to the Mianchi South Railway Station by following this link. The Luoyang Ease House is also just a short taxi ride away from the Longmen Caves. In addition to the links to Agoda that are used in the review below, this hotel is also available for booking on Trip.com by following this link.

Recommended Hotel in Sanmenxia

The Hailian International Hotel that is reviewed below is a 4-star hotel that is located quite close to Sanmenxia's city center and the high-speed Sanmenxia South Railway Station. You can book train tickets for the short 20-minute-trip from this railway station to the Mianchi South Railway Station by following this link. The hotel is available for booking on Trip.com but not on Agoda.