Established | 1995 |
---|---|
Location | Beijing |
Coordinates | 39°36′55″N 116°03′00″E / 39.61528°N 116.05000°E |
Type | Archaeological site, History museum |
Public transit access | Public Bus |
The Western Zhou Yan State Capital Museum (Chinese: 西周燕都遗址博物馆) is an archaeological museum in southwestern Beijing Municipality at the site of the capital of the ancient State of Yan during the Western Zhou dynasty. The site is located in Dongjialin Village, just north of Liulihe Township (琉璃河镇), in Fangshan District, 43 km (27 mi) south of Beijing's city centre. During the Western Zhou dynasty, over 3,000 years ago, the walled settlement at Liulihe, as the site is also known, served as the capital of the Yan, a vassal state of the Zhou dynasty. The discovery of the site in 1962 is considered to be one of the 100 major archaeological discoveries in China during the 20th century.[1] Artifacts from the site including engraved bronze ware and chariots provide the earliest archaeological evidence of urban settlement in Beijing Municipality. The museum at the site, operated by the municipal government, opened in 1995.