The 5th Chinese Archaeology Congress opened today in Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, and will run for three days. The event features 28 professional committees, more than 570 academic reports, 22 public archaeology lectures, one exhibition, and three field research routes.

The Congress has brought together hundreds of archaeologists from across China and countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Centered on the theme The Past and Future of Archaeology, the event consists of an opening ceremony, keynote speeches, panel discussions organized by professional committees, the Xiyin Forum, academic field investigations and public archaeology lectures.

At the opening ceremony, guests delivered keynote speeches covering topics such as the origins of Chinese civilization and mutual learning among civilizations, archaeological practice and exploration in Shanxi in the new era, the journey and prospects of scientific archaeology in China, and building a new landscape of education.

Overthe course of one-and-a-half-day panel discussions, experts and scholars from the 28 professional committees of the Chinese Archaeological Society will deliver over 570 reports centered on the congress theme. The presentations will focus on major new discoveries, cutting-edge research findings, and multidisciplinary theories and methods related to key archaeological sites concerning the origins of Chinese civilization and the formation and development of a unified multi-ethnic state, promoting in-depth exchange across all branches of Chinese archaeology.

The 6th Xiyin Forum — an academic symposium commemorating the 100th anniversary of the excavation of the Xiyin site — was held concurrently. In October 1926, Chinese scholars discovered and conducted the first Chinese-led excavation of the Xiyin site in Xia County, Shanxi Province, opening a new chapter in modern Chinese archaeology. The year 2026 marks the centenary of this landmark excavation. Participants engaged in academic exchanges on topics including a century of Xiyin and Chinese archaeology, as well as southern Shanxi and the origins and early development of Chinese civilization.

The congress also organized 22 public archaeology lectures, inviting renowned experts and scholars from various fields to share archaeological knowledge with the general public. The lectures covered a wide range of topics, from research findings on the Qin Mausoleum and Terracotta Warriors and the royal tombs at Yinxu, to new discoveries from salt industry sites in Jiangsu and projects in Jingdezhen. Other sessions explored themes such as “How Archaeologists Study Prehistoric Rural Life” and “Exploring the History of Ancient Chinese Brewing from a Residue Perspective.” These lectures aim to help the public better understand the historical trajectory of the origins and development of Chinese civilization and to promote its remarkable achievements.

On October 17, participants will conduct academic field researchesalong three routes. They will visit the Taosi Site in Xiangfen, the Xiyincun Site in Xia County, the Yongle Palace, the Guangrenwang Temple and other sites. These routes trace the millennium-long cultural heritage of Yuncheng, spanning from prehistoric civilizations to ancient architectural treasures.

The Chinese Archaeology Congress is the largest, most comprehensive, and highest-level international academic conference in China's archaeological community. It aims to comprehensively showcase the current state of development and achievements of Chinese archaeology, promote the opening-up of archaeology and international academic exchange, and advance the overall development of Chinese archaeology.

The congress is guided by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the National Cultural Heritage Administration, and the People’s Government of Shanxi Province, and jointly organized by the Chinese Archaeological Society, the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Shanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, and the People’s Government of Yuncheng City.