Erlitou Site Museum of the Xia Capital
二里头夏都遗址博物馆 Erlitou Site Museum of the Xia Capital · Yanshi District, Luoyang, Henan, China
Next to the Erlitou site by the Luo River, see the turquoise dragon-shaped artifact known as "China's first dragon" and the earliest bronze jue wine vessel.
Know before you go
- Do not enter excavation pits or fenced-off areas
- do not use flash at the turquoise and jade display cases
- do not treat the 'Xia capital' as a conclusion fully settled by scholars
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
The Erlitou site lies on the south bank of the Luo River around Erlitou Village, Zhai Town, Yanshi District, Luoyang. Covering about 3 square kilometers, it was discovered in a 1959 survey by Xu Xusheng and others, and dates from roughly the 18th to the 16th century BC, when it was the largest settlement in East Asia. Archaeologists have found a walled palace city of more than 100,000 square meters, a grid of crisscrossing roads, and China's earliest known workshop for casting bronze vessels. A turquoise dragon-shaped object unearthed in 2002 from a tomb in the palace area, inlaid with more than 2,000 pieces of turquoise, has been hailed as "China's First Dragon"; the bronze jue wine vessels that appeared in Phase III are among the earliest known bronze vessels. Many scholars believe this was the capital of the late Xia dynasty, but the correspondence between Erlitou and the Xia dynasty is still debated. The Erlitou Site Museum of the Xia Capital opened on October 19, 2019.
Local customs
The museum stands beside the site, with exhibits organized around themes such as the discovery of the Erlitou culture, the layout of the capital, crafts, ritual systems and exchange between civilizations, displaying the turquoise dragon-shaped object, bronze jue vessels, jades and pottery. Just outside the museum is the archaeological site park, where markers show remains such as the palace city and roads. Archaeological work is still ongoing, and some areas may be fenced off for excavation.
Religion & beliefs
The jades, turquoise objects and bronze ritual vessels unearthed at Erlitou are mostly related to early ritual systems and sacrifice, but the museum and the site park are not religious sites. Please follow the rules for archaeological sites: do not enter the excavation areas, and do not burn incense or toss coins on the site.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
China: At Qingming tomb-sweeping, no burning paper or open flames in wooded areas
Do
- Check whether the cemetery requires a reservation before you go
- Stay quiet while laying flowers, bowing and observing silence
- Consider flowers, tree planting or online memorials instead of burning paper
- Dress soberly for tomb-sweeping
- Take offering wrappers and rubbish with you when you leave
Don’t
- Don't burn paper, incense or candles, or set off firecrackers, in woods or grassland
- Don't talk loudly or joke around in the cemetery
- Don't block cemetery paths for long to take photos
During fire-prevention periods, burning paper, incense and candles is strictly banned in forest and grassland fire zones, and anyone who starts a wildfire may be held legally liable. Whether and where a cemetery allows burning is set by its own rules on site.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Xinhua: Two departments deploy safety measures for the Qingming holiday
China: Go through security before the metro, and park shared bikes in marked zones
Do
- Cooperate with the security check at the entrance and put bags through the scanner
- On the platform, wait beside the doors and let passengers off first
- Register with your real name in the app before riding a shared bike
- Park in a marked bay or an app-designated spot, and make sure the lock clicks shut
- If the brakes or lock don't work, switch bikes and report it in the app
Don’t
- Don't linger in the doorway or force your way through closing doors
- Don't leave bikes in traffic lanes, fire lanes or on tactile paving
- Don't let children under 12 ride shared bikes
If you refuse the security check you will not be let into the station. Badly parked bikes are removed, and riders may face action under local rules and the operator's terms.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: People's Daily Online: Beijing issues standards for shared bike technology, services, parking
China: No smoking anywhere on high-speed trains, and no phone calls in quiet carriages
Do
- Sit in the carriage and seat shown on your ticket
- Put large luggage in the racks at the carriage ends or overhead
- Use headphones for videos and music
- In a quiet carriage, step outside to make or take calls
- Before getting off, check around your seat and take your rubbish and belongings
Don’t
- Don't smoke anywhere on the train, including toilets and vestibules
- Don't take someone else's seat
- Don't choose a quiet carriage when travelling with babies or toddlers (12306 advises against it)
Smoking on a bullet train can set off smoke alarms and slow or even stop the train. Smokers are fined by the police and, according to reports, may also be barred from buying bullet-train tickets; official rules prevail. If someone breaks the quiet-carriage rules, tell the train staff.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Travel China Guide: Smoking on Chinese trains
China: Stay on open sections of the Great Wall and never carve the bricks
Do
- Walk only on open sections and marked routes
- On steep stretches, stop and steady yourself before taking photos, and watch your step
- Wear non-slip shoes, carry enough water, and turn back if you are tired
- Carry your rubbish down or put it in a bin
- Check opening arrangements before you go; official announcements prevail
Don’t
- Don't carve, write on or prise loose the bricks
- Don't climb over fences or onto closed, crumbling walls and watchtowers
- Don't run or push on steep sections
Carving the Great Wall counts as damaging a cultural relic: one visitor who carved his name at Badaling was given administrative detention and a fine by the police and was blacklisted by the scenic area. Closed sections are not maintained and can be dangerous.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China News Service: Man detained for five days and fined 200 yuan for carving on the Badaling Great Wall
China: book popular sights in advance, under your real name, through official channels
Do
- Check the booking rules on the site's official website, mini program or account before you go
- Enter every companion's ID details in advance and pick an entry time slot
- Children, seniors and others with free or reduced tickets also book as required and show ID
- Book early for holidays and summer; popular dates often fill quickly
Don’t
- Don't trust third parties offering to grab tickets or sell 'insider' tickets
- Don't assume a free ticket means no booking is needed
- Don't count on buying tickets at the gate on peak days
Once a popular date is fully booked, you may be turned away. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires sites to keep in-person ticket windows and to accommodate seniors and others, but on-site quotas are limited; booking windows, release times and visitor caps are subject to official announcements.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires all scenic areas to keep ticket windows
China: set up mobile payment before you go; hotels and tickets are booked under your passport
Do
- Link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure
- Carry some cash in yuan for small stalls, remote areas or payment glitches
- Expect real-name checks at hotels, for train tickets and popular sights; use your passport
- Make sure the name and number on bookings match your passport exactly
- If a station gate cannot read your passport, use the staffed lane
Don’t
- Don't wait until you arrive to set up payment; verification can take time
- Don't assume cash alone or a bank card alone will work everywhere
- Don't book with details that differ from your passport
Without a working payment method, or with mismatched ID details, you may be unable to check in, buy tickets or enter sights. Payment limits, fees and platform rules are subject to official announcements.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Gov.cn: Payment services for foreign visitors to China
China: Queue, don't smoke where banned, and never carve on heritage sites
Do
- Wait your turn in line, and follow staff directions when it's crowded
- On buses and the metro, let passengers off first and offer seats to those in need
- Book popular sights and museums in advance, under your real name, through official channels
- Sort your rubbish into the right bins
- Use serving chopsticks and spoons, and order only what you can eat
Don’t
- Don't cut in line or walk side by side blocking the way
- Don't smoke where it is banned; many cities ban smoking in indoor public places and on public transport
- Don't carve or write on historic buildings or ancient trees, or climb on or touch relics
- Don't use flash or tripods in exhibition halls
- Don't talk loudly or play music out loud in public places
Staff will stop you from queue-jumping, smoking where banned or marking relics, and smoking in no-smoking areas or damaging relics can also lead to fines under the law. Fine amounts, booking methods and opening hours are as officially announced.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Palace Museum official site: Visit
Don’t DON'T
- Do not enter excavation pits or fenced-off areas
- do not use flash at the turquoise and jade display cases
- do not treat the 'Xia capital' as a conclusion fully settled by scholars
- the site park is open with little shade, so do not walk for long at midday in high summer
Locals appreciate DO
- First see the turquoise dragon-shaped object and bronze jue at the museum
- then go to the site park to see the markings of the palace city and roads
- learn the basis for, and the academic debate over, the “Xia capital” claim
- compare with the Luoyang Museum and the Yanshi Shang City site to understand how early capitals changed
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Allow 2–3 hours, or half a day with the site park. The museum is in Zhai Town, Yanshi District, about 30 km east of downtown Luoyang, about 40 minutes to 1 hour by car or taxi from the city
- you can also go to downtown Yanshi first and transfer to a bus or taxi, with public transport schedules as announced locally. Tickets, booking methods, opening hours and closing days are as announced on the official website and official WeChat account of the Erlitou Xia Capital Site Museum. You can spread it over two days with the Luoyang Museum and the Sui-Tang Luoyang City site, or on the same day stop by the Yanshi Shang City Museum
- combining it with the Longmen Grottoes and the White Horse Temple on the same day would be rushed. Dining options at the museum are limited, so bring water.
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