The best preserved yamen, the magistrate's office in ancient China, and the oldest one in China's central plains, ancient China's political and cultural center, has been opened to the public as the first museum of its kind in China.

Located in the old city of Xinmi in central China's Henan Province, the 1,400-year-old yamen was first established in Sui Dynasty (581-618), destroyed in Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and rebuilt in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Covering an area of 20 mu (1.33 hectares), the magistrate's office boasts over 1,000 historical relics, including bell and drum towers, gate-facing screen walls, gates, halls and prisons, all well distributed and well preserved.

"It is regarded as a live fossil for the research on the history and culture of Ming and Qing dynasties," said Xu Shunzhan, a local archaeologist.

Since last year, a special team has been organized and a large sum of money has been spent on preserving and recovering the historical site.

With these efforts, some buildings partly destroyed were recovered, historical materials about famous local people and magistrates were collected and exhibitions on ancient punishments and instruments of torture were held.

The opening of the new museum will provide valuable materials for the research on ancient China's local organization system and the architecture, official system and punishments in ancient China, said Xu.

(Xinhua News Agency January 7, 2004)