A prehistoric village has been restored at a Hongshan culture site in Chifeng City, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, enabling visitors to learn about the life of Chinese forefathers at least 5,500 years ago.

The village, covering more than six hectares of land in Hongshan Forest Park, comprises six old-style houses and a fish pond. The exhibit also includes dozens of sculptures of scenes from daily prehistoric life, including fishing, hunting and production of stone and chinaware implements.

Sources with the Chifeng municipal government said the restoration of the village aims to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the naming of the Neolithic Hongshan culture which dated back 5,500 to 6,000 years.

The primeval culture site, distributed in the juncture areas between the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the provinces of Liaoning and Hebei, was excavated in 1935 and was formally named in 1954, by noted historian and archeologist Yin Da in his book entitled "Neolithic Age in China."

Experts say Hongshan culture, which produced delicate painted pottery pieces, large sacrificial sites, jade figurines of phoenixes and dragons, actually helped form the very foundation of the mainstream Chinese culture. The culture was once believed to have developed in the Yellow River drainage area in the central part of the nation.

(Xinhua News Agency July 19, 2004)