XI'AN - China's first archaeological museum will be built in Xi'an, capital of the northwestern Shaanxi province this year, local authorities has said.

The museum will aim to popularize knowledge of archaeology among common people and diversify China's museum types, said Zhao Rong, director of the provincial cultural relics bureau, at a provincial meeting attended by cultural relics officials.

The museum is also likely to exhibit the process of archaeological excavation, archaeology technology, as well as ideas about archaeology, according to Wang Weilin, director of the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology.

The museum will consist of four major sections including a specimen exhibition area, archaeological materials showroom, public participation area, and culture industry area, Wang said.

The museum is designed to cover 10 hectares in Qujiang, a southeastern district of Xi'an.