【Shanxi's Cultural Landscape】Roots of Chinese Civilization (Yuncheng)

Cast during the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, these iron oxen were originally eight in number, each weighing about 30 tons. They were used to anchor a floating bridge across the Yellow River. Four of the oxen have been fully excavated and still stand on the east bank of the river, exuding immense power. Beside them are Tang-era iron figures and iron pillars. These relics are invaluable for studying Tang Dynasty metallurgy, bridge engineering, and sculpture. Even today, you can touch the heavy, textured surface of this ancient ironwork.

芮城西侯度遗址——人类最早用火的证据

Xihoudu Site, Ruicheng – The Earliest Evidence of Human Fire Use

位置：位于运城市芮城县风陵渡镇以北约7公里的黄河岸边。

Location: About 7 km north of Fenglingdu Town, Ruicheng County, on the banks of the Yellow River.

交通：从永济黄河铁牛出发，沿运风高速继续向西南方向行驶约50公里，在“风陵渡”出口下高速，再沿县道向北约15分钟即达，导航搜索“西侯度遗址”即可，车程约50分钟。

Driving directions: From Yongji Iron Oxen, continue southwest on Yunfeng Expressway for about 50 km, exit at "Fenglingdu," then drive north on the county road for about 15 minutes. Navigate to "Xihoudu Site" – about a 50-minute drive.

西侯度遗址是中国境内发现最早的旧石器时代文化遗址之一，距今约180万年。遗址中出土的烧骨，是人类最早使用火的确凿证据，将人类用火的历史推至距今约180万年前。遗址上建有“圣火台”，为全国第二届青年运动会圣火采集地，现代设计与传统黄土地貌形成鲜明对比。

The Xihoudu Site is one of the earliest Paleolithic cultural sites discovered in China, dating back approximately 1.8 million years. Burned bones unearthed here provide solid evidence of early human fire use, pushing back the history of fire mastery by humans to roughly 1.8 million years ago. A "Sacred Flame Platform" has been built on the site, which served as the flame collection point for the 2nd National Youth Games. Its modern design contrasts sharply with the traditional loess landscape.

解州关帝庙——天下武庙之冠

Haizhou Guandi Temple – The Supreme Temple of the God of War

位置：位于运城市盐湖区解州镇，距运城市区约25公里。

Location: Haizhou Town, Yanhu District, Yuncheng City, about 25 km from downtown.