The Yuncheng Municipal Museum covers the prefecture's deep prehistoric and ancient history, including finds from the area's significant Paleolithic and Neolithic sites. The Xishoudu site in Yuncheng prefecture contains some of the oldest evidence of fire use by early humans in East Asia — dated to approximately 1.8 million years ago — and the museum contextualises the region's extraordinary prehistoric time depth against the better-known legendary associations with Emperor Shun and the early Chinese states.
The museum also covers the history of the salt trade, the Three Kingdoms period and its connection to Guan Yu, and the Yuan-dynasty religious culture that produced the Yongle Palace murals. The galleries are well-organised, with Chinese-language text throughout and some English labelling on key exhibits. Admission is free.