Gate from past opens new path to studies

He adds that some findings echo famous urban tales. For example, the discovery of garden rockeries may remind people of Zhao Ji's famous "hobby" of collecting exotic-looking and precious stones from around the country.

Jinglong Gate was unearthed as the result of a construction project. After its discovery, the original plan was altered to leave enough room for protection of the site.

Zhang Huiming, deputy director of the Henan Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage, says that excavation pits were also temporarily refilled to protect the site from damage during the summer rainy season.

"They'll be opened again at the right moment, and we'll also explore the possibility setting up facilities for public exhibition of the site in the future," Zhang says.

In December, the National Cultural Heritage Administration approved a plan for a demonstration zone in Kaifeng to introduce archaeological findings to the public and bolster the local economy.

Lin Liugen, an archaeology professor at Zhejiang University, recalls his experience of recently visiting the archaeological site.

"I was stunned, and not just because of the grandeur of the city wall, or its academic significance," he says. "The site has told us more than stories of destruction; it's more about stories of rebirth. In archaeological sites in Kaifeng, we can see the vitality of Chinese civilization through a continuous lineage."

"We'd like people to know Kaifeng has another Along the River During the Qingming Festival that is buried underground," Lin says. "Its prosperity is being drawn by archaeologists."