Plan at a glance
Three areas, three arrival points
Yinxu consists of the new museum, the Palace and Ancestral Shrine Site, and the Royal Tombs Site. Together they form one archaeological park. The new museum is on the western section of Shachang Road in Yindu District; the Palace and Ancestral Shrine Site is in Xiaotun Village across the river; and the Royal Tombs Site is in Wuguan Village, farther from central Anyang. Plan each arrival point separately.
Regular hours for all three areas are about 08:30–17:30, and they usually open on Mondays. Night visits, ticket coverage and shuttle arrangements can change with the day's products and operations, so regular daytime hours do not automatically determine the evening schedule.
Tickets and visit time
The main ticket options are an adult ticket for the new museum at CNY 80, a combined ticket for the Palace and Ancestral Shrine Site and the Royal Tombs Site at CNY 70, and a three-area pass at CNY 120. The area shuttle between the three sites is available only with a combined ticket or pass that includes the Royal Tombs Site; follow the ticket terms and on-site arrangements for the day.
Allow 3–4 hours for the new museum and the Palace and Ancestral Shrine Site. To add the Royal Tombs Site and cover all three areas, plan about 5–6 hours. The listed night-visit period is 17:30–20:30, with free places described as opening at midnight for the first 2,000 visitors; availability, ticket type and quota must be confirmed with the day's product.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
View Visit Optionsvia Trip.comChoose your visit
The new museum: Shang Dynasty artefacts
The new museum suits visitors who want to start with excavated objects and an exhibition overview. On the third floor, the “Where Chang Came From” exhibition presents 577 objects from the Yachang Tomb, including the Yachang Ox Zun and a bronze hand-shaped object. The “Who Was Zi?” exhibition includes more than 110 oracle-bone pieces from Huayuanzhuang, while the second-floor “Great Shang Civilization” exhibition introduces Shang history and includes the Simuxin Ding and a human-headed yan vessel.
The new museum also has a gallery with 23 chariot pits, which can be visited with the other exhibitions. These are museum displays; they are different from the small original-site chariot pit at the Royal Tombs Site, so treat the two locations separately.
Palace and Ancestral Shrine Site: royal tombs and oracle-bone pits
The Palace and Ancestral Shrine Site suits visitors who want to see archaeological remains in place. Fu Hao's Tomb is an important royal burial site at Yinxu, and visitors can descend to the bottom of the approximately 7-metre-deep pit. The YH127 oracle-bone pit once produced more than 10,000 oracle bones and is one of the area's main stops.
If Fu Hao's Tomb, the oracle-bone find spot and the relationship between the excavated remains matter most to you, give this area its own time. It complements the museum's displays, but the museum cases cannot replace seeing the archaeological site itself.
Royal Tombs Site: tombs, sacrificial pits and an original chariot pit
The Royal Tombs Site is in Wuguan Village and suits visitors interested in Shang royal burial practices and ritual remains. M260 is one of the site's important tombs and the place where the Houmuwu Ding, also known as the Simuwu Ding, was found. The site also includes sacrificial pits and a small chariot pit at its original location.
Large parts of the Royal Tombs Site are currently under restoration, so the practical focus is on the areas above. Allow about 30–60 minutes. The M260 find spot is separate from the museum display, and where the bottom of the tomb uses a reproduction-style presentation, follow the site's signs.
Build your day
3–4 hours: the new museum and the Palace and Ancestral Shrine Site
With limited time, enter through the new museum's South Gate. Visit the Yachang Tomb, Huayuanzhuang oracle bones and Shang civilization exhibitions first, then the chariot-pit gallery, before continuing to the Palace and Ancestral Shrine Site for Fu Hao's Tomb and YH127. This combination covers both museum displays and an archaeological site while keeping cross-area travel to two locations.
The new museum lets you complete the main exhibition indoors, while the Palace and Ancestral Shrine Site involves outdoor walking. On a hot day or when the park is nearing closing time, make the museum exhibitions and Fu Hao's Tomb your priorities.
5–6 hours: the Royal Tombs Site, Palace and Ancestral Shrine Site, and new museum
For a complete route, start with the Royal Tombs Site, which is farther from the city, then continue to the Palace and Ancestral Shrine Site and finish at the new museum. If the day's shuttle departures suit it better, use the order of Palace and Ancestral Shrine Site, Royal Tombs Site, then new museum. The workable order depends on the shuttle timetable for tickets that include the Royal Tombs Site; these are alternatives, not one fixed schedule.
At the Royal Tombs Site, focus on M260, the sacrificial pits and the chariot pit, allowing 30–60 minutes. At the Palace and Ancestral Shrine Site, prioritise Fu Hao's Tomb and YH127. Finishing at the new museum lets you use the end of the daytime schedule or a night visit if it is operating that day; do not count a night visit as a guaranteed part of the itinerary.
Get there
The new museum, Palace and Ancestral Shrine Site, and Royal Tombs Site
Set the destination to “Yinxu Museum” for the new museum and enter through the South Gate; parking is available on the east side. Use Xiaotun Village for the Palace and Ancestral Shrine Site and Wuguan Village for the Royal Tombs Site. The three areas are separate, so walking between them is impractical; use a vehicle or the area shuttle when your ticket allows it.
All three areas have parking. Parking at the new museum and the Palace and Ancestral Shrine Site is listed as free and convenient, while the Royal Tombs Site is farther from the city. Put it into the day's route instead of making repeated trips between the three areas.
Public transport and the area shuttle
From central Anyang, take Bus 11 or 14 to the new museum. The area shuttle is available only with a combined ticket or pass that includes the Royal Tombs Site, and it runs on scheduled departures. Without an eligible ticket, plan cross-area travel by private car, taxi or chartered vehicle.
Know before you go
Restoration and shuttle times at the Royal Tombs Site
Restoration across large parts of the Royal Tombs Site affects what can be seen, so 30–60 minutes is a practical estimate. The area shuttle is not a city bus that departs whenever you arrive; departures may follow the hour, half-hour or another schedule for the day. Use the on-site timetable for a complete route.
Night visits, guiding and site signs
The 17:30–20:30 night period, free quota and entry method are all day-specific. Day tickets, night tickets and the three-area pass have different coverage and should be checked separately. The new museum has many objects, so an audio guide or live guide can help explain the relationship between the Yachang Tomb, oracle bones and bronze objects.
Visitors can descend to the bottom of Fu Hao's Tomb, while parts of the Royal Tombs Site are under restoration and original-site protection. Follow the open boundaries around the chariot pits, tombs and sacrificial remains. Use each location's signs to distinguish the new museum's chariot-pit gallery, the original-site chariot pit at the Royal Tombs Site and the Houmuwu Ding find spot.