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History Science 90' 52'

SANXINGDUI: THE ENIGMA OF THE SHU KINGDOM

In the mountains of Sichuan, in southwestern China, lies a mysterious ancient city – a kingdom that was consigned to oblivion for thousands of years until the chance discovery of a jade artifact in 1986.

 

Since that first find, over 10,000 artefacts have been unearthed on the site of Sanxingdui. Among them are astonishing treasures of gold, jade, ivory and bronze, buried by the inhabitants in sacrificial pits before they left the city, over 3,000 years ago. The discoveries include objects unlike any ever seen before – curiously-shaped bronze heads and masks covered in gold foil. For experts, they might be as archaeologically important as the Terracotta Army of Xi’an.

 

Could Sanxingdui be the capital of the ancient Shu kingdom, that was long thought to be mythical? A major international investigation begins to uncover the mysteries of the lost city, following historians, archaeologists and scientists both in labs and on the field. Will they succeed in explaining this unique accumulation of relics? Will they manage to bring the legendary ancient kingdom of Shu to life?

Direction: Pascal Cuissot

Production: IMAGISSIME & China Media Group for France Télévisions & The WNET Group

Languages: French, English

Year of Production: 2026

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