XI'AN, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) - A museum dedicated to the Shimao culture dating back some 4,000 years opened to the public Wednesday in Shenmu City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Covering an area of 12,890 square meters, the Shimao Museum boasts a rich collection of 688 pieces or sets of artifacts, including jade, stoneware, pottery, bone tools, and colorful murals, showcasing the archaeological achievements of the Shimao ruins site and the unique position of Shimao culture in the origin of Chinese civilization.

The Shimao site is located in today's Shenmu City in the northern part of the Loess Plateau and the southern edge of the Mu Us Desert. The site's core is a stone-built city dating back approximately 4,000 years with an area exceeding 4 million square meters.

Since a systematic archaeological survey and focused reexamination of the site started in 2011, remarkable discoveries have been made, including the well-built east gate site of the outer city, remains of house foundations in orderly rows, and high-level burial grounds. Tens of thousands of artifacts spanning various categories have also been unearthed.