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CMG “Gongtong Wenhua Jiayuan” Series
Introduction
“Aerial China” Season 4
“In Search of Ancient China”
“Meet the Chinese Characters”
“Classic Quotes Cited by Xi Jinping”

“In Search of Ancient China”

The large-scale documentary series “In Search of Ancient China” has adopted the creative concept of “Thought + Art + Technology”, and fully utilized new technologies such as free-viewpoint, large-scale 3D scanning, and XR+, to innovate visual imagery and shifting the viewpoint from museums directly to archaeological sites. Through a journey that spans thousands of years, the documentary series showcases the uninterrupted and diverse integration of Chinese civilisation over 5,000 years, vividly reflecting the developmental path of the Chinese nation distinct from other world civilisations.

(Chinese version only)

Heluo: The Centre
The place where the Huanghe (Yellow River) and the Luohe (Luo River) meet is always there welcoming the sunrise from the east since ancient times. Thousands of years ago, the Central Plains region centered around the Heluo region, acquired a significant name “Zhongzhou” (Central region). It was also known as “Yuzhou”, one of the ancient Nine Provinces, located in the center of these provinces. Since then, the character "zhong" (central) has been closely associated with this fertile land.
Heluo: The Centre
Ancient Shu Civilisation: Sanxingdui
Since the unearth of the first jade artefact in 1929, Sanxingdui has attracted the attention of generations of archaeologists. While more bronze masks and bizarre figurines were discovered, Guanghan in Sichuan has provoked waves of heated discussions about the ancient Shu Civilisation. The archaeological discoveries in Sanxingdui continued for nearly a century, unveiled the golden age of the ancient Shu Bronze Age.
Ancient Shu Civilisation: Sanxingdui (1)
Ancient Shu Civilisation: Sanxingdui (2)
Ancient Jade: Findings on Ancient Chinese Jade
In the 1970s, a dragon-shaped jade artefact was discovered coincidentally in the Inner Mongolia Plateau. It was verified as belonging to the Hongshan Culture and has been hailed as “China’s No. 1 Dragon”. Let us reveal the mystery of the Hongshan jade culture through various archaeological sites and cultural relics.
Ancient Jade: Findings on Ancient Chinese Jade (1)
Ancient Jade: Findings on Ancient Chinese Jade (2)
Xia Dynasty: Inheritance
The Yanshi Shang City site, located at around 6 kilometers northeast of the Erlitou site, shares remarkable similarities in urban layout with the Xia capital of Erlitou. The rectangular palace complex, orderly arranged rammed earth foundations, and clear functional zones, all of which demonstrated the inheritance of Xia Civilisation by the Shang people.
Xia Dynasty: Inheritance (1)
Xia Dynasty: Inheritance (2)
Heluo: Incorporation
The Central Plains cultural area of the Heluo region is regarded by archeologists as the core of Prehistoric Culture of China, as if the core of the double-petal flower. However, as we traverse through the mists of history, it prompts us to inquire what kind of exchanges took place between the Heluo region and other regions in prehistoric times? The spirit of incorporation pushed Chinese civilisation forward vigorously, and archaeologists could also get a glimpse of the traces of it through the inheritance of civilisation.
Heluo: Incorporation (1)
Heluo: Incorporation (2)
Heluo: City-state
Over 5,000 years ago, a settlement with the characteristics of a capital city, Shuanghuaishu, was born in the Heluo region. The Shuanghuashu site is located in Gongyi City of Henan Province, with the Hulao Pass in its east, the Heishi Pass in its west, the Mount Song in its south, and the Yellow River in it north. At this site, archaeologists excavated an enormous settlement covering 1.17 million square meters, which is nearly the size of three Tiananmen Squares. This prehistoric city also features triple ring moats, orderly arranged large palace buildings, and four designated burial areas, demonstrating the grandeur of this central settlement in the region. The Shuanghuaishu site is considered a critical evidence for the key period and region in the origins of Chinese civilisation.
Heluo: City-state
Heluo: Ingenuity
When agriculture thrives, all industries prosper. In the prehistoric Heluo region, the vigorous development of agriculture spurred the gradual rise of handicraft industry. A group of ingenious craftsmen sourced materials from nature, and with their ingenuity and skills, crafted a variety of pottery with various functions, built comfortable and warm houses, and learned to rear silkworms and weave silk. Their lives became fruitful and colorful.
Heluo: Ingenuity (1)
Heluo: Ingenuity (2)
Heluo: The Fertile Soil
The Heluo region has long been regarded as the “the wildland in the centre of the world” since ancient times. The relentless Yellow River flows gently into this vast land, clamly and patiently nourishes the fertile soil along the banks with the Luo River. Thousands of years ago, on this fertile soil, the Chinese ancestors made good use of the gift of nature with their sweat and wisdom, writing a wonderful prelude of agricultural civilisation.
Heluo: The Fertile Soil (1)
Heluo: The Fertile Soil (2)
Ancient Dian Kingdom: Cultural Integration
The search for evidence of the real existence of the ancient Dian Kingdom has been a relentless pursuit for archaeologists for decades. In the 1950s, a small gold seal was accidentally discovered by Yunnan archaeologists while clearing an ancient tomb. This gold seal weighs 90 grams, with all four sides intact, and a small snake with sparkling eyes coiled around it. The discovery of this gold seal caused a sensation in the archaeological community both domestically and overseas. It was like a golden key that unlocked the door to the treasure trove of ancient Dian culture and unveiled the path to explore the ancient Dian Kingdom.
Ancient Dian Kingdom: Cultural Integration