Henan finds reveal the roots and continuity of Chinese civilization

From Neolithic wind instruments to an ancient turquoise dragon-shaped artifact, this land has witnessed the evolution of Chinese civilization.

- SONG MENGXING

The turquoise dragon-shaped artifact discovered at the Erlitou site in Luoyang city, Henan province, is housed at the Chinese Archaeological Museum.

(PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

In Central China's Henan province, archaeologists have repeatedly reshaped public understanding of history through remarkable discoveries.

In the 1980s, a collection of bone flutes was unearthed at the Jiahu archaeological site in Wuyang county, Henan. Most have seven holes and are considered the earliest wind instruments discovered in China. The bone flutes are regarded as the origin of Chinese musical civilization.

The flutes were made from the ulnae of red-crowned cranes and measure between roughly 6.81 and 9.69 inches in length. They feature fixed shapes and standardized production techniques. The smallest sound hole measures only about 0.04 inch in diameter, and each hole forms a precise circle.

Today, the story of the Jiahu bone flutes continues. A 1:1 replica of a seven-holed flute preserved at the Henan Museum can still produce melodious music.

In June 2025, during a special cultural performance at the United Nations headquarters, this instrument was played alongside others from the United States, Africa and Greece as a representative of Chinese civilization.