The Banpo site has a history of over 6,000 years and is a typical Neolithic Yangshao Culture matriarchal settlement that showcases the cultural aspects of society, production, life, economy, marriage, and customs at that time.
Xi’an Banpo Museum (西安半坡博物馆) is the first prehistoric settlement site museum in New China, officially opened to the public on April 1, 1958. The exhibition area covers approximately 4,500 square meters and is divided into three sections: the display of unearthed cultural relics, the main hall of the site, and supplementary displays. The museum houses over 18,000 artifacts, including more than 4,000 items classified as Grade III or above, over 300 fossil specimens, and several human and animal skeletal remains from the Neolithic era.
The human face fish-patterned basin is the most precious artifact unearthed from the Banpo site and is classified as a national first-class cultural relic. In 2008, it served as the creative inspiration for the Fuwa, the mascots of the Beijing Olympic Games, which had been eagerly anticipated by the Chinese people for a century.
Travel Information about Banpo Museum
Tickets and Opening Hours
Tickets:
- 65 yuan during peak season
- 45 yuan during off-peak season
Opening Hours:
- Peak season (March 1 to November 30) from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM;
- Off-peak season (December 1 to the end of February) from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Transportation to the Scenic Area
Address: 155 Banpo Road, East Suburb of Xi’an (approximately six kilometers east of downtown Xi’an).
Metro: Take Line 1 to Banpo Station and then walk about 500 meters.
Attraction Rating
- Cultural: ★★★★
- Special Features: ★★★
- Leisure: ★★
- Scenic Beauty: ★★★
- Romantic: ★★
- Exciting: ★★
Highlights of Banpo Museum
Main Entrance
The entrance to the Banpo Museum features decorations that reflect the style of a primitive village. A stone sculpture of a Banpo girl drawing water stands tall in the fish pond, adding charm to the surroundings. In front of the main hall, the inscription “半坡遗址,” written in elegant and vigorous calligraphy by Mr. Guo Moruo, enhances the cultural atmosphere of the museum. This combination evokes a genuine feeling of returning to nature, history, and art, often leaving many visitors enchanted and reluctant to leave.
Exhibit Hall for Unearthed Artifacts
The exhibit hall for unearthed artifacts features several sections, including the entrance hall, the first exhibition room, the semi-panoramic painting exhibition hall, and the second exhibition area. The first exhibition room primarily showcases the living tools used by the Banpo people in primitive society, while the second exhibition room focuses on their daily utensils.
The hall consists of five thematic units. One unit explores the relationship between the Banpo people and their ecological environment, highlighting life along the Green River. Another unit delves into the production and labor of the Banpo people, presenting the poem of life they created through their work. A third unit captures their daily lives in a pastoral symphony, reflecting the routines and activities of the community. The essence of spirit is examined through their aesthetic consciousness, showcasing their artistic values. Finally, the hall addresses the ancient mysteries left behind by the Banpo people, inviting visitors to ponder the secrets of their past.
Unearthed Artifacts:
The numerous vibrant and colorful pottery pieces found at the Banpo site indicate that the culture of this period is characterized by painted pottery culture. The artworks vary in style; some are rich and vivid, while others are mysterious and intricate, often depicted on bowls, basins, jars, and narrow-necked vessels.
The paintings are commonly found on the shoulders, bellies, and mouths of smaller vessels, with straight-mouth vessels typically featuring designs on their outer walls or lip edges, while larger vessels have patterns primarily on their inner walls. The predominant colors include black, with some instances of red. The designs are ancient and concise, falling into three main categories.
The first category consists of zoomorphic patterns that closely relate to the daily lives of prehistoric humans, with vivid depictions of animals and plants reflecting their agricultural and hunting lifestyles. The second category includes geometric patterns, such as triangles, grid patterns, and woven motifs, which are often found in prominent locations on the outer walls of bowls, jars, and pots. These patterns are clear and delicately executed.
The painted pottery culture was first discovered in Yangshao Village, Mianchi County, Henan Province, establishing the Banpo site as part of the Yangshao culture of the Neolithic era.
Ruins Protection Hall
The ruins protection hall showcases the original structures where the early inhabitants of Banpo lived, including houses, kiln sites, pottery kilns, and burial sites. These remnants vividly illustrate the prehistoric civilization developed by our ancestors.
The hall, which covers an area of 3,000 square meters, is part of the original village and displays the remains of circular semi-pit houses, urn grave clusters, pottery kiln sites, and sacrificial stone pillars associated with the Banpo site. The early architecture consisted of semi-pit dwellings, where half of the structure was underground, with the walls made from the pit itself, while the exposed half had a roof. These houses were low and damp.
It was only in the late Neolithic period that they began constructing walls above ground, supported by wooden pillars, marking a significant advancement. This design, featuring upright walls and sloping roofs, laid the foundation for traditional Chinese architectural styles, representing an impressive achievement for the time.
Related Details:
- The museum is divided into three main areas: the residential area, the pottery production area, and the burial area. Compared to typical tourist attractions, the archaeological value here is significantly higher. The ruins hall serves as the highlight of the museum visit, offering visitors a sense of time travel. Within the hall, parts of the ancient residential area and a pottery kiln are on display. Visitors can use interactive touch screens to learn about the stories from thousands of years ago. Additionally, the exhibition incorporates electronic virtual reality and holographic imaging to recreate scenes of the splendid culture created by the ancient Banpo people.
- On the side of the hall, there is a display room featuring a concentrated exhibit of Banpo artifacts. Here, you will see the textbook-famous “human-faced fish-patterned basin” (a replica, with the original housed in the National Museum of China). In summary, the pottery and painting arts of the Banpo people are both ancient and characterized by geometric patterns.
Banpo Matriarchal Clan Village
The Banpo Matriarchal Clan Village is an organic extension of the Banpo Museum. Built on the foundation of actively protecting the site, it utilizes archaeological findings to bring precious heritage from underground to the surface, vividly recreating the matriarchal clan society of ancient humanity. This village enriches the museum’s content, promotes the long-standing cultural history of the Huaxia civilization, and showcases the prehistoric art, customs, and rural life of the Yellow River basin. By leveraging the advantages of its artifacts, the village integrates research, archaeology, education, tourism, and entertainment, earning the reputation among domestic and international visitors as the “First Village of Huaxia.”
Visitor Guide for Banpo Museum
Accommodation Options
There are many hotels and inns around the museum, and staying in the city center is also a good option due to direct public transport access.
Xi’an Hanting Express Hotel (Changle East Road Branch): This hotel is adjacent to the Kangfu Road Clothing Wholesale Market and the largest light industrial products wholesale market in Northwest China. It is only 1 kilometer from the East Passenger Station, offering convenient transportation, complete facilities, and an elegant, comfortable environment with a prime location.
Xi’an Haoke Express Hotel (Tangdu Hospital Branch): Located at 102 Xinyi Road, Baqiao District, Xi’an, this hotel is 2 kilometers from the Banpo Site Park. The rooms are well-equipped with a stylish and minimalist design. The hotel offers free parking, internet service, and a 24-hour hot water circulation system, ensuring you can shower at any time. Phone: 029-83512350.
Food Options
There are plenty of dining options around the museum, showcasing the rich flavors of Northwest cuisine. You can find local specialties like lamb paomo, Biang Biang noodles, persimmon pancakes, cold noodles, and stir-fried fish at nearby restaurants. Recommended spots include Chen Ermao Fat Beef Hot Pot and Lao Tongjia Lamb and Beef Paomo Restaurant.
What to Do
The “Prehistoric Workshop” cultural experience project is a major interactive initiative launched by the Xi’an Banpo Museum, designed for youth participation. It presents a vivid picture of the life of Banpo ancestors over 6,000 years ago, standing out among numerous educational projects in museums across the country and receiving the honor of being a “Demonstration Case of Museum Education in China.”
Targeted at children aged 6 to 12, the activities allow participants to experience various hands-on projects, such as fire-making by friction, plant dyeing, pottery drilling, and constructing primitive houses. One of the most exciting activities is fire-making by friction, where participants drill wood to create sparks and carefully blow on the embers on cloth to ignite a flame, offering a fascinating glimpse into the primitive techniques of survival.