The Shimao Ruins, about forty kilometres west of Shenmu city, are a Neolithic settlement that flourished between approximately 2300 and 1800 BC. At four hundred hectares, it is among the largest prehistoric walled settlements yet found in China, and its discovery has fundamentally changed understanding of early Chinese civilisation. The site features a stepped stone pyramid, extensive outer walls with bastions, and evidence of craft production in jade and bronze that points to a level of social complexity not previously attributed to this region at this date.
The Shimao Museum, opened in 2023 near the ruins, houses the principal finds including jade objects, carved stone faces, and ceramic assemblages. The museum is purpose-built and well-designed. The ruins themselves are partially accessible and still being actively excavated — this is live archaeology on a significant scale. Visiting now means seeing a site in the process of revealing itself, with some areas newly uncovered and others still sealed.