Shimao, in Shenmu County in the far north of Yulin prefecture, is one of the most significant archaeological sites in China — a massive walled city from around 2300–1800 BC that is the largest known settlement of its period anywhere in East Asia, covering over four hundred hectares. It was discovered in the 1970s but not systematically excavated until the 2010s, when the true scale became clear. The site has fundamentally revised understanding of early Chinese civilization by demonstrating that complex, stone-walled, pyramid-centred urban culture existed on the northern frontier long before the Central Plains states that traditional history celebrates.
The centrepiece is the Imperial City Terrace — a stepped pyramid built on a natural loess hill, reworked to create eleven platforms rising to a height of seventy metres. The outer stone walls, still partially standing, are constructed of local sandstone in a style completely different from the rammed-earth walls of the Central Plains. The main gate complex, partially excavated, has yielded jade objects, painted murals, and the disturbing skull deposits that have attracted international attention.
Access requires a car from Yulin city, about ninety minutes, and the site is still primarily an active excavation rather than a developed tourist attraction. A small site museum has been opened near the excavation. Check current access conditions before visiting, as portions of the site open and close depending on excavation work.