Visitors view a jade dragon of the Hongshan culture at the National Museum of China in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

?Zhang Zhijia, a 38-year-old volunteer at Chifeng Museum in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, leaves home at 8:30 a.m. to share stories about the Hongshan culture with museum visitors.

Almost at the same time, Li Jiawei, a 24-year-old graduate student who studies cultural relics at Chifeng University in the city of Chifeng, walks from his dormitory to the library to research materials for future archaeological projects.

And 45-year-old Guo Lei, who is in charge of Songshanzhai, a cultural and creative company under the Chifeng culture and tourism group, has already engaged in discussions with his colleagues on the designs of refrigerator magnets inspired by the Hongshan culture.

Despite being from different age groups and living different lives, they all share a commitment to the preservation and utilization of the Hongshan culture, which was an important archaeological culture during the Neolithic Age.

The culture spans three regions: the west of Liaoning Province, the north of Hebei Province and the east of Inner Mongolia. Chifeng in Inner Mongolia has over 700 known Hongshan culture relics sites.

"My hometown, Chifeng, is both the birthplace of the Hongshan culture and the place where it was named," Zhang said.

The city's northeastern suburbs are marked by a red mountain, Wulanhad, which means "red mountain" in Mongolian. It is from this mountain that the city and culture took their names.

Since childhood, Zhang has been fascinated by jade artifacts from the Hongshan culture, such as jade dragons and jade silkworms.

"Some of the jade artifacts show slight markings made by cowhide ropes during their polishing process, which makes me imagine scenes of the Hongshan ancestors crafting these objects. It feels like touching history," he said.

Motivated by this sentiment, he signed up to volunteer at Chifeng Museum, and he hopes that more young people can gain knowledge and joy through learning about history.

"Volunteers are both narrators and learners," he said. "Recently, many visitors have been asking about the newly excavated jade dragons from last year. The Hongshan artifacts are 'updating,' and our knowledge must also be continuously updated."

In 2024, three jade dragons from the Hongshan culture were unearthed -- the largest number of such artifacts found in recent years. Among them was the largest jade dragon ever discovered.

The object, measuring 15.8 centimeters in length, 9.5 centimeters in width and 3 centimeters in thickness, was excavated from a stone tomb in Yuanbaoshan in Chifeng's Aohan Banner. It provides valuable new insights into the study of this ancient civilization.

The piece has become a highlight of exhibitions and academic lectures, and it has also inspired designs in cultural and creative industries.

Guo has been involved in the development of cultural and creative products inspired by the Hongshan culture for four years. Together with his colleagues, he has launched several products based on Hongshan artifacts, and is planning to release new refrigerator magnets inspired by the culture.

"We design cultural and creative products that not only have high aesthetic value but also boast fine details and rich heritage, and we hope they can serve as a window through which visitors can understand the Hongshan culture," Guo said.

Li shares a similar hope, and looks forward to uncovering more secrets of the Hongshan culture through archaeological work.

"Archaeology is a way to engage in dialogue with the ancestors, as each jade artifact and pottery shard may contain their stories," Li said, adding that in the future, he wants to share more stories of the Hongshan culture with others.

Today, the legacy of the Hongshan culture continues in modern life. In Chifeng, visitors can participate in themed research activities, watch performances, and even enjoy Hongshan culture-inspired feasts at local restaurants.

"We dig into historical research and inherit fine traditional Chinese culture, enabling cultural empowerment for industrial development," said Zhang Guohua, Chifeng's vice mayor.