Outstanding contributors to the preservation and understanding of Hongshan culture

Guo Dashun

Guo, 88, has dedicated over half a century to the study of Hongshan culture, serving as lead archaeologist at key sites such as Niuheliang, Dongshanzui and Shipengshan. Through his dedicated efforts, the realities of Hongshan society are becoming increasingly clear.

Based on his studies, Guo summarized "altar, goddess temple, circular stone mound tomb, dragon, phoenix and jade" as the key elements of Hongshan culture, indicating its institutional ritual constructions and mature jade artifacts system. He also proposed that unlike Western civilizations, Hongshan culture demonstrated a continuous civilizational development path, supported by a belief system connecting heaven, Earth, humanity and deities.

From Guo's perspective, archaeology is not only about tracing historical remnants, but also about making clear the evolution of civilization.

"China, both now and in the future, cannot be separated from its history. Without understanding the past, we cannot know about the present or anticipate the future. That is why we highlight our roots," Guo said.