The administration says it made the decision based on the bird's exquisite craftsmanship, and its representation of ancient Chinese sun worship and the nation's enterprising spirit, according to museum curator Zhu Zhangyi.

About 3,000 years ago, the ancestors of Shu regarded the deer as a totem and used antlers to express animistic beliefs. Today, outside the museum's relics hall where important artifacts were excavated in 2001, a 15-meter-tall deer-shaped lantern looks over the brightly lit ancient Shu people's homeland.

Sichuan is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese culture, where human activity can be traced back to 2 million years ago. The province boasts rich cultural relics, such as those at the Piluo Paleolithic site in Daocheng county and the Sanxingdui Ruins in Guanghan, a city under the administration of Deyang.