The Salawusu site is situated in lush green surroundings. [Photo/Nuan News]

The Salawusu site in Ordos city, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, was listed among China's newly approved national archaeological parks by the National Cultural Heritage Administration on June 9, marking Ordos' first park of this kind.

National archaeological site parks are designated public cultural spaces centered on key archaeological sites, offering research, education, and recreational functions while serving as models for heritage protection and cultural transmission.

Covering over 17 square kilometers, the Salawusu site is located at the southern end of Uxin Banner along the Salawusu River, stretching across a 39-kilometer canyon. Key zones include the Salawusu Site Museum and the Hetao People Cultural Research Center.

The site is a landmark of China's prehistoric heritage, representing a Middle Paleolithic human cultural site in the Yellow River basin, dating back 50,000 to 100,000 years. It was the first site in China and East Asia to yield human fossils through scientific excavation.

Discoveries include the renowned "Hetao People", Salawusu Culture, Salawusu Fauna, and the eponymous Salawusu geological formation, a reference point in global paleoanthropological and paleogeographic studies.

The site has yielded one human fossil location, two Paleolithic cultural sites, 22 animal fossil sites, and fossils from 47 species of mammals and birds.

The park's establishment bolsters the protection and study of the site while enhancing cultural heritage and tourism. Efforts will focus on improving site interpretation, advancing archaeological research, and integrating culture with tourism to build an international, eco-friendly research hub for archaeology and heritage education.