Peking Man Site,Zhoukoudian
Though it sparked an as-of-yet unresolved paleoanthropological debate about whether man first appeared in China or East Africa millions of years ago, the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian, about 50 kilometers southwest of Beijing, is responsible for great contributions to our understanding of human evolution.
First discovered by local quarry men working for geologist Johan Gunnar Andersson (Sweden) and palaeontologist Walter W. Granger (U.S.) in 1921, the Peking Man Site caused instant ripples. Not only was it the first discovery of prehistoric humanoid fossils in China, but all of Asia.
In 1927, under supervision of Chinese geologist Li Jie, with funding from the Rockefeller Foundation, systematic excavation of the site began in earnest. The findings were incredible.
Found were hundreds of tools, earthenware pots, bones, skullcaps and evidence of the use of fire by Homo Erectus hailing from 230,000 to 700,000 years ago, in the days when 250-pound super hyenas like Pachycrocuta brevirostris and saber-toothed tigers roamed the plains.
Sadly, most of these relics were lost in the wake of the Japanese invasion in 1941. Excavations recommenced in 1949 and the site continued to yield some of the most remarkable fossils and artifacts from the Middle Pleistocene era known to the world.
Today, visitors can explore the site and museum—declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its 3,000 items on exhibit, to get an idea of what life was like living la vida prehistorica.
Admission:RMB 30
Hours:8:30am to 5:00pm
How to get there:From Beijing's Tiaoqiao Bus Station, take bus 917 to Fangshan, and switch to mini bus no. 2, which drops you off directly at the site.
