Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site
Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site
3.5
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“Peking Man” was the nickname given to the human fossils dating as far back as 18,000 – 11,000 B.C. that were discovered in this small Chinese village. ,
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3.5
55 reviews
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meltwaterfalls
Portsmouth, UK60 contributions
Nov 2011 • Solo
I enjoyed my trip out here. It may not be the most enthralling World Heritage Site but it did provide a nice way to get off the beaten track from the Chinese capital.
Just thought I would post some details on getting to Peking Man site on public transport, as there wasn't anywhere that had a full run down when I was looking:
You will need bus 917.
Busses leave regularly (every 10/15 minutes) from Tianqiao Bus station (天桥) It isn't really a bus station it is just some bus stops on Beiwei Road, near the western gate to Temple of Heaven Park.
There are a few bus stops with 917 on them but it is the one with just 917 no Chinese character after it that you are looking for.
The bus stop you are aiming to get off at is called 周口村路口 (Perhaps it is called Zhoukoudian Town Hall in translation, as that is where you are let off, but I am not sure about it's actual name)
It is about 1.5 – 2.25 hours on the bus depending on traffic. It goes on the highway for a long time, then pulls of and goes around little suburban towns. Zhoukoudian is where the mountains start to get really close, so keep an eye out the window and if the mountains are still a long way off you can have a doze.
Showing the conductor the name of the stop I needed ensured I paid the correct price (9 yuan) and also meant she, and the rest of the bus, could tell me where to get off.
From this bus stop you can wait for the small shuttle bus #38 to take you to the site proper, or it is about a 2km/ 20 minute walk. If you decide to walk just carry on the main road in the direction you have come from. The road bends to the right, goes straight and then bends to the left. The site is then just the other side of the little 'Olympic' square and railway tracks, though it should be obvious by this stage.
To get back it is just the same but in reverse. There was a taxi waiting outside that took me to the 917 bus stop (10 yuan, probably could be battered down, but the price was fine for me).
The 917 was a really regular bus. If one turns up that is full it is probably worth waiting for the next one so you don't have to stand for 2 hours. Though it is worth noting the service stops about 4-5pm so later in the day it may just be worth taking whatever comes.
The whole visit took me about 4.5 hours from my hotel which was near Tianqiao station.
It was a tiny adventure doing this under my own steam and people were so friendly to me it really made the trip worthwhile. So if you are in Beijing with some time to spare it is probably worth doing!
Just thought I would post some details on getting to Peking Man site on public transport, as there wasn't anywhere that had a full run down when I was looking:
You will need bus 917.
Busses leave regularly (every 10/15 minutes) from Tianqiao Bus station (天桥) It isn't really a bus station it is just some bus stops on Beiwei Road, near the western gate to Temple of Heaven Park.
There are a few bus stops with 917 on them but it is the one with just 917 no Chinese character after it that you are looking for.
The bus stop you are aiming to get off at is called 周口村路口 (Perhaps it is called Zhoukoudian Town Hall in translation, as that is where you are let off, but I am not sure about it's actual name)
It is about 1.5 – 2.25 hours on the bus depending on traffic. It goes on the highway for a long time, then pulls of and goes around little suburban towns. Zhoukoudian is where the mountains start to get really close, so keep an eye out the window and if the mountains are still a long way off you can have a doze.
Showing the conductor the name of the stop I needed ensured I paid the correct price (9 yuan) and also meant she, and the rest of the bus, could tell me where to get off.
From this bus stop you can wait for the small shuttle bus #38 to take you to the site proper, or it is about a 2km/ 20 minute walk. If you decide to walk just carry on the main road in the direction you have come from. The road bends to the right, goes straight and then bends to the left. The site is then just the other side of the little 'Olympic' square and railway tracks, though it should be obvious by this stage.
To get back it is just the same but in reverse. There was a taxi waiting outside that took me to the 917 bus stop (10 yuan, probably could be battered down, but the price was fine for me).
The 917 was a really regular bus. If one turns up that is full it is probably worth waiting for the next one so you don't have to stand for 2 hours. Though it is worth noting the service stops about 4-5pm so later in the day it may just be worth taking whatever comes.
The whole visit took me about 4.5 hours from my hotel which was near Tianqiao station.
It was a tiny adventure doing this under my own steam and people were so friendly to me it really made the trip worthwhile. So if you are in Beijing with some time to spare it is probably worth doing!
Written 18 April 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jariya
Ottawa, Canada205 contributions
Oct 2011 • Solo
While in Beijing I hired a car to visit the Peking man caves in the outskirts of Beijing about a 40 ninute drive.It is out of the usual popular tourist destinations.At the site entance there is a huge head of the Peking Man made in Bronze and a museum.Inside the museum (A small fee is charged) there are some tools used by Peking man and some bone fragments of animals that have been eaten by Peking man found during excavations. It also has many pictures and lifelike statues of Peking Mans family life in the area when they lived in the caves.
These is also story about the skull of peking man found on this site and was stolen many years ago.
The museum also has a souvenir shop and washrooms
There is a trail that leads to several caves ( The Caves are empty) . There are some staues around the caves which depict various activities of the Peking man like hunting, preparing a meal etc
The trail to the caves has some narrow high pathways and steep stairs.
The caves are abandoned and well kept. One cave has the sign where the Peking Mans skull was discoverd
I found it exciting to visit this place.
These is also story about the skull of peking man found on this site and was stolen many years ago.
The museum also has a souvenir shop and washrooms
There is a trail that leads to several caves ( The Caves are empty) . There are some staues around the caves which depict various activities of the Peking man like hunting, preparing a meal etc
The trail to the caves has some narrow high pathways and steep stairs.
The caves are abandoned and well kept. One cave has the sign where the Peking Mans skull was discoverd
I found it exciting to visit this place.
Written 13 September 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary W
Changchun, China104 contributions
Apr 2015 • Solo
I went to the Peking Man World Heritage site by public buses from Beijing and it is quite a lengthy journey. The area is well looked after with neatly trimmed paths, good signposts and viewing points. I found the caves fascinating even though there is not so much to see. As a child, I was always interested in 'cavemen' and this was the real thing. There are interesting explanations in English at the various stopping points on the trail and you can go inside some of the caves.
Written 24 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tom Guo
3 contributions
Mar 2019 • Friends
Last Sunday I went to Zhoukoudian Site Museum with my friends.We set out at 8:00,after which we went to the destination by car.The building was very big and wonderful.We saw various exhibits such as fossils of Peking Man.I got knowledge of the history of the Peking man and excavate.The guide was very friendly and had great learning.And knowledge is useful in history.I also joined in a interesting competition with many other children and growing up of drill wood to make fire.It was interesting.Belive in or not,I won the first prize in the competition and got an interesting book of Peking man.I was very happy.What a wonderful day it was!
Written 9 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Agdole
1 contribution
The site is outstanding. The grounds are very clean, well labeled & easy to follow. The site was a pleasure to visit. Having studied the site, the designers allowed visitors to really get a first hand look at the various caves and the layout of the excavations. The sculptures outside of the park and museum were fun. The museum content was good and the graphics used to demonstrate events and the site were excellent. It was not a Disneyland type of presentation but it had examples and casts of the specimens. Go early and you have the place to yourself. The only shortcoming was the gift shop. Personally I am not into lots of stuff and the photos were not only enough they were great. Absolutely worth the trip!
Written 14 June 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WaynePod
Ottawa, Canada191 contributions
Apr 2014 • Solo
Having first heard of Peking Man in anthropology classes in university, I had to visit the site while living in China. It's true that there is not a whole lot for average tourists but those with an interest in the field will likely enjoy it. Having a car, I drove out, which was straightforward enough. Travel time was around 75 minutes there, with medium traffic. A bad accident added another 30 min on the return leg. The site is pleasant to wander around and well signed. Although the main site (#1) is a bit confusing - two groups of Chinese asked me for help to find it (some signs say "Peking Man" and other refer by number "1" - same place). It was nice to see locals interested in the history, including some nice elderly folks I kept running into. If you are in Beijing for a long time, make the trip and use it as a reason to get out of the city for a day to see a UNESCO site.
Written 27 April 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NotThereYet59
Ann Arbor, MI60 contributions
May 2012 • Solo
I decided to go to the Zhoukoudian site to get out of Beijing and to do something different. For an archaeologist, this might be terrific but as a tourist, this is an attraction that can be skipped. Despite the excellent directions provided here, I ended up hiring a car to get here so the trip was relatively fast.
What I liked:
I loved getting out of Beijing and having the chance to do some walking. The site is on a hill and, like many things in China, is not handicap accessible but there are nice paths that are well shaded. There are several animal sculptures throughout the park which does give you a sense of the size of the animals that were also found in the caves.
There was a small museum that had a good collection of the fossils and bones (or replicas) which were interesting. There were several booths with animations that showed various aspects of human life which were also in English and somewhat entertaining.
What I didn't like:
In general, there was not enough to read in order to learn more about what you were looking at. If you didn't know much about Peking man before visiting, you would not have learned much more after going to this site.
The site was much smaller than I expected. I was hoping for a couple of hours of beautiful scenery but the entire trip was less than an hour.
What I liked:
I loved getting out of Beijing and having the chance to do some walking. The site is on a hill and, like many things in China, is not handicap accessible but there are nice paths that are well shaded. There are several animal sculptures throughout the park which does give you a sense of the size of the animals that were also found in the caves.
There was a small museum that had a good collection of the fossils and bones (or replicas) which were interesting. There were several booths with animations that showed various aspects of human life which were also in English and somewhat entertaining.
What I didn't like:
In general, there was not enough to read in order to learn more about what you were looking at. If you didn't know much about Peking man before visiting, you would not have learned much more after going to this site.
The site was much smaller than I expected. I was hoping for a couple of hours of beautiful scenery but the entire trip was less than an hour.
Written 19 May 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Speis75
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia246 contributions
Dec 2014 • Family
Since my children were learning about stone age etc, we thought it would be a good place for a little education in the midst of our holiday. Old fossils and bones are displayed with explanation in a museum. There is even a 3D film about the Peking Man but only two shows per day (one at 10am and another at 3.30pm approx). A good learning experience for both young and old about the evolution of mankind.
Written 4 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
stephenco
Makati, Philippines57 contributions
Apr 2011
From Beijing, my brothers and I rented a taxi to get to the Peking Man Site. It is a 2-hour drive from the city center, taking into account the morning rush hour. I'm happy to report that Beijing taxis are willing to use their meters for this long trip.
One would need a deep appreciation of natural history and culture to enjoy this place. The site is composed of empty caves and a museum that give a rough picture of how Peking Man lived some 200,000 years ago.
While the museum is not the one of China's best, I feel that it has served its purpose satisfactorily. Signs and information cards are written bilingually. Displays are all functional. The grounds are kept clean and well-manicured. I say that it really deserves its World Heritage distinction.
We took only 30 minutes to explore the grounds as we had to catch a flight later in the afternoon. It was enough, but I wish we had more time.
One would need a deep appreciation of natural history and culture to enjoy this place. The site is composed of empty caves and a museum that give a rough picture of how Peking Man lived some 200,000 years ago.
While the museum is not the one of China's best, I feel that it has served its purpose satisfactorily. Signs and information cards are written bilingually. Displays are all functional. The grounds are kept clean and well-manicured. I say that it really deserves its World Heritage distinction.
We took only 30 minutes to explore the grounds as we had to catch a flight later in the afternoon. It was enough, but I wish we had more time.
Written 3 June 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
H888
Hong Kong, China636 contributions
May 2018 • Friends
I first visited Zhoukoudian in 2011. At that time it was only the old science hall exhibit and the caves. Which you were pretty much free to ramble through and explore.
Today's 2018 visit revealed that much has changed at the site, and until the archiologist and construction team complete the new cave cover, a large engineering feat currently undeway, then there's nothing to see here at the actual site. The old museum science centre is now a kids education hall, which is OK. But not worth paying 60rmb to get into the park area. 70 percent of the grounds are off limits due to the construction.
What is new is a large museum at the base of the cave relics area. It's about a 1km walk between the two sites and accross the railway tracks. So walkable but most people drive. The museum is OK if you're into archiology, but really not much there.
So overalla, I enjoyed my first visit much more than my 2nd. Progress of development has changed the charm of Zhoukoudian for me. So it's off my recommendation list, at least until the new cover to the caves allows rentry there.
Tip. Stay away until after 2020. Check that construction is complete before you go.
Today's 2018 visit revealed that much has changed at the site, and until the archiologist and construction team complete the new cave cover, a large engineering feat currently undeway, then there's nothing to see here at the actual site. The old museum science centre is now a kids education hall, which is OK. But not worth paying 60rmb to get into the park area. 70 percent of the grounds are off limits due to the construction.
What is new is a large museum at the base of the cave relics area. It's about a 1km walk between the two sites and accross the railway tracks. So walkable but most people drive. The museum is OK if you're into archiology, but really not much there.
So overalla, I enjoyed my first visit much more than my 2nd. Progress of development has changed the charm of Zhoukoudian for me. So it's off my recommendation list, at least until the new cover to the caves allows rentry there.
Tip. Stay away until after 2020. Check that construction is complete before you go.
Written 1 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I would like to visit the Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site on Oct 5.
Is there a reputable company anyone could recommend? I will be staying at a hotel in Central Beijing
Thank you.
Written 30 September 2016
I have a good friend that has a travel agency, an honest one. His name is David Dong. email is traveldavid@hotmail
Written 30 September 2016
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