Visitors take photos of the Sun and Immortal Birds gold ornament at the Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Kang Jinqian)

　　CHENGDU, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Museum guide Han Xue paused on the elevated walkway and beckoned her tour group forward as a vast archaeological pit came into view below. Down there, rows of ancient ivory neatly aligned in the same direction as if arranged by a forgotten ritual.

　　“Here we stand witness to a world preserved for three millennia,“ Han said, as gasps rippled through the crowd. Beneath their feet lay the remnants of a mysterious kingdom that once anchored early civilization along China's upper Yangtze River.

　　At the Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, Han's storytelling brings to life vanished worlds of ritual ceremonies, terraced rice fields, and exquisitely crafted jade. This was once the heart of the ancient Shu Kingdom, which had its heyday around 3,000 years ago.

　　“Summer holidays haven't started, yet we welcome streams of visitors daily, all drawn by this civilization's magnetic pull,“ Han said, adding that the museum remains packed until well past 6 p.m..

　　With eight years of experience as a tour guide, Han has witnessed a noticeable shift. “Young heritage enthusiasts are growing in number. Lots of elementary school kids visit the museum, and they listen with genuine fascination,“ she explained.