Unique Value

"The whole village is a lively Chinese history written by vivid, colorful relics. The richness of its content and visibility have distinguished it from other historical sites. (The village) has recorded the chronological developmental process of Chinese history, constituted by the locals, in a period of over 6,000 years", said Tang Jigen, head of the Anyang Work Station under the Archaeological Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"We have been limited to keep our focus on the emperors and big cities in our historical research, and the literati have been given too much attention. The ordinary village and the lives of ordinary people were largely neglected. Modern historians have shifted their focal point to the common people and endeavored to revive the lives of the ancient people. Yuyang village provided a specimen for the developmental process of a common yet typical Chinese village. The locals have inhabited it incessantly for more than 6,000 years. Thus, a rich historical accumulation has been formed in Yuyang, where people can freely visit, experience, appreciate and observe. This is where the most important value of Yuyang lies."

According to Tang, the reason why Yuyang has been so well preserved throughout history is because it is situated far away from regional centers like Anyang and Yedu (today's Linzhang County, Hebei Province), a factor that guarded it from the damages caused by war. Although some governmental officials and businessmen have settled there, the village is incomparable to the big cities.

Over 6,000 years, the center of the village has been changed many times, but all the ruins of the ancient Yuyang village at different times are around the site nowadays. This kind of parallel movement of the people has also helped preserve historical relics since the older village is immune to the damage caused by human activities, like the restoration of old homes.

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