Chengdu (& Sanxingdui) | Day 5

We started the day with a quick and easy breakfast of baozi, keeping things simple as we had a busy day ahead.

Our first destination was the Chengdu East Railway Station, where we caught the high-speed rail out to the Sanxingdui Museum. Sanxingdui is located about 40 kilometers north of Chengdu in Guanghan, and it’s one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in China. The site dates back more than 3,000 years to the ancient Shu civilization, long before China’s more well-known dynasties. It’s famous for the unique and mysterious bronze artifacts that were unearthed there, offering a glimpse into a culture that was largely lost to history.

The museum itself was impressive in size, filled with fascinating exhibits that made the trip well worth it. Among the highlights was the enormous bronze statue—one of the tallest ancient bronze figures ever discovered, standing over two and a half meters high. We also saw several large bronze masks with exaggerated features, particularly the striking wide eyes and large ears. These masks are iconic symbols of the Sanxingdui culture, their design unlike anything else from Chinese history. Another fascinating piece was the bronze sacred tree, an intricately detailed artifact standing several meters tall, thought to represent a connection between heaven and earth. Each branch of the tree was adorned with mythical creatures and birds.

After spending a few hours exploring the museum and its many treasures, we took a bus back to Chengdu. Dinner was near the IFS (International Finance Square), and we decided on grilled fish. The fish was cooked to perfection.

Finally, we took the metro back to the hotel, where we settled in for our last night in Chengdu.