Hongshan stakes foundation claim

Artifacts reveal society that developed architectural techniques and craftsmanship, Fang Aiqing in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, Yuan Hui in Hohhot and Wu Yong in Shenyang report.

Just as the Yellow and the Yangtze river basins are seen by archaeologists and historians as the birthplaces of Chinese civilization, so too is the West Liaohe River basin in northeastern China.

Around 6,500 to 4,900 years ago, a late Neolithic culture called Hongshan thrived here, marked by its use of delicate jade ware and the initial totems of the Chinese dragon. Both were of symbolic significance in later history.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the naming of the Hongshan culture. In 1954, it was officially named after a hilly area in suburban Chifeng, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, which means "red mountains".