Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian


World Heritage Identification Number: 449

World Heritage since: 1987

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇨🇳 China

Continent: Asia

UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific

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Discovering Human Evolution: The Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian

The Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian, located approximately 42 kilometers southwest of Beijing, China, stands as a testament to the rich history and evolution of human species. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, this significant archaeological location continues to captivate scientists and researchers worldwide due to its extensive findings that shed light on prehistoric human societies across Asia.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Scientific work at the site, which lies 42 km south-west of Beijing, is still underway. So far, it has led to the discovery of the remains of Sinanthropus pekinensis, who lived in the Middle Pleistocene, along with various objects, and remains of Homo sapiens sapiens dating as far back as 18,000–11,000 B.C. The site is not only an exceptional reminder of the prehistorical human societies of the Asian continent, but also illustrates the process of evolution.

Encyclopedia Record: Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site

Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site (周口店北京人遗址), also romanized as Choukoutien, is a cave system in suburban Fangshan District, Beijing. It has yielded many archaeological discoveries, including one of the first specimens of Homo erectus, dubbed Peking Man, and a fine assemblage of bones of the giant short-faced hyena Pachycrocuta brevirostris.

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Additional Site Details

Area: 480 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions

Coordinates: 39.689449 , 115.922702

Image

Image of Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian

© Mutt, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)

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Country Information: China

Flag of China

Official Name: People's Republic of China

Capital: Beijing

Continent: Asia

Population (2024): 1,408,975,000

Population (2023): 1,410,710,000

Population (2022): 1,412,175,000

Land Area: 9,388,210 sq km

Currency: Chinese yuan (CNY)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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