A large number of relics and ancient tombs have been excavated in Xingtai over the past decades, which suggest the city was most likely the capital built by Zuyi, an emperor of the Shang Dynasty, said archaeologist Duan Hongzhen.

During the 600 years from the BC 16th century to BC 11th century, the Chinese of the Shang Dynasty migrated from one place to another, and were reluctant to settle down. According to historical documents, the Shang Dynasty built eight capitals in all.

With the passage of time and the lack of historical records, the once prosperous cities fell into oblivion, and today's archeologists continue to search for them.

According to Duan, in the past half century, over 20 sites of ruins of the Shang Dynasty have been found on the two sides of a river in the southwestern suburb of Xingtai.

"The scale and distribution of the relics are quite similar to two other Shang capital cities including the famous Yin Ruins," said Duan.

"Certainly, this is not a village. The unearthed cultural relics probably belonged to the flourishing age of the Shang Dynasty," Duan said.

In addition, dozens of tombs dating back to the Western Zhou Dynasty (BC1046 to BC771), the dynasty immediately after Shang, were also found in Xingtai. "A leud of the Western Zhou might have established his capital at the site of the old capital of the Shang Dynasty," Duan said.

However, no remains of palaces, city walls or large scale tombs, which are the symbols of a capital, have been discovered, Duan said.

Experts say the research into the Shang capital will help to untangle the complicated history of the Shang Dynasty and the origin of Chinese culture.

(Xinhua 03/08/2001)