In 1921, experts were amazed after colorful pottery pieces were excavated in the small village of Yangshao in Henan province's Sanmenxia, which is known as one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. With the discovery of Yangshao culture, which dates back from 7,000 to 5,000 years, modern Chinese archaeology was born.

Starting from the village, archaeologists have explored all over the country in the past century. According to the National Cultural Heritage Administration, over 4,400 archaeological projects were launched in China in the past five years alone.

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, emphasized the importance of archaeology in the country's overall development at a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in September.