Four generations protect Yinxu Ruins in Henan

Four generations of the Zhang family have watched the archaeological excavation of the Yinxu Ruins in Xiaotun village of Anyang, Henan province.

Their story dates to 1928 when Academia Sinica, then the preeminent academic research institution in China, was originally established in Nanjing. Among its scholars was Dong Zuobin who initiated the scientific excavation of the Yinxu Ruins in 1928.

He and his archaeological team arrived in Xiaotun village to work and lived with Zhang Xuexian, head of seven nearby villages, who deeply understood the importance of preserving cultural relics, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Zhang Xuexian, the start of the four-generation story, oversaw the recruitment of workers and logistics for the archaeological team in Anyang.