Beijing Hotels: The start of Your Face-to-Face encounter with the Peking Man
Ever heard of the Peking Man? Well if you have probably heard of it, you will definitely find this site alluring. Zhoukoudian or Choukoutien is a system of caves in Beijing where many archaeological findings were unearthed, including the most notable: the Peking Man. It was one of the first specimens of Homo erectus, which was believed to be the oldest species of human beings who lived in the area about 200,000 to 750,000 years ago.
This is a huge draw for tourists staying in nearby Beijing hotels since it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will note that this has already been incorporated in the itinerary. You can also coordinate with Beijing hotels so that they can personalize the tour to your liking.
In 1921, Johan Gunnar Andersson, a Swedish geologist, together with the American paleontologist Walter W. Granger were led by local quarry men to an area called Dragon Bone Hill. There, Johan instantly realized that this is a nice spot to search for human remains.
The cave was continuously excavated since 1926, where archaeologists found about 200 human fossils from forty individuals identified as Homo erectus. In addition, more than 10,000 pieces of stoneware, several cinder layers and animal fossils from 200 different species were found. The archaeologists found more fossils and artifacts in 1949, making this as one of the most important sites which gave out evidences from the Middle Pleistocene Era.
At present, Zhoukoudian\’s Dragon Bone Hill has an exhibition hall, which is subdivided into seven rooms. The first room shows fossil remains of the Peking man and his external appearance, stone tools, general living conditions and evidence of his use of fire. To avoid long queues, it is recommended that you book your tickets in advance or call any of the Beijing hotels where you can be assisted of these reservations.
The second room demonstrates Hilltop Cavemen and animal fossils, bone needles, decorative objects and stone tools.
Fossils of men found in various parts of China, such as the Dingcun Man, Hetao Man and other fossil copies of the ancient jungle and southern ancient apes, Java, Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon Man are located in the third room.
The fourth room introduces the geological history of the residence of the Peking Man and displays the course of human and animal evolution through different geological periods.
The fifth and sixth rooms exhibit fossils of vertebrates and fishes discovered in other locations around Zhoukoudian.
The seventh room contains the fossils of some of the animals hunted by the Peking man, which included the tiger and the bear. Also discovered at the site were elephant and rhinoceros fossils, which give us a clue of the changing climate before.
It is interesting to note that this attraction gives us a glimpse of the simplicity of human life thousands of years ago. Now, in the age of modernity, allow the different hotels in Beijing to pamper you with the comfort you deserve after a day of travel and work.
Author E. Larson is a long-time resident of Beijing, China. He works closely with the Hongkun Beijing Hotel and many other hotels in Beijing. Go to his website on the Hongkun Beijing Hotel here.
