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北京大学英语新闻网/Peking University News
International Academic Concern
Focused on the Site of Zhougong
Temple
PKU NEWS 2005--05—11
http://ennews.pku.edu.cn/news.php?s=115951544
Peking University, Beijing, May. 11th, 2005: ―New important historic relics in the site
of Zhougong Temple in Shanxi Province have been discovered by Chinese
archeologists recently. The international Academic circle focuses its great attention
on these important discoveries of Xizhou Dynasty.‖ Matsumaru Michio, famous
Japanese scholar and honorary professor of Tokyo University said when receiving
an interview from Xinhua News Center on May. 9th after an academic discussion
with the archeological team.
According to Professor Xu Tianjing of Peking University, the 71 year-old Matsumaru
Michio is a great expert on bronze wares of Shang Dynasty and Zhou Dynasty. He
was awarded honorary professor of Tokyo University after his retirement for his great
academic achievements.
Professor Matsumaru Michio said that after Chinese archeologists had discovered
the senior tomb groups and other construction relics in the site of Zhougong Temple,
he wrote an article according to the reports of Xinhua News Center and had it
published on Japanese media such as ―Zhaori News‖ and ―Dumai News‖, introducing
the discovery to Japanese people. On February this year, ―Chinese Archeology
Academy‖ of Japan held an 80-people discussion meeting about the archeological
activities of the site of Zhougong Temple. Mr. Xu Tianjing, member of this
archeological team was invited to make a theme speech on the meeting. This proved
that Japanese academic circle had paid great attention to culture research of Xizhou
Dynasty and the archeological activities in the site of Zhougong Temple.
Mr. Matsumaru Michio explained that Xizhou was an important period of history in
the shaping and development of Chinese culture. It also occupied an important
position in the history of world culture. Although he could not tell according to the
conditions of the research and exploration whether the tombs found belonged to the
feudal princes or the Zhougong family, one fact was that the masters of these tombs
were of high rank. This was crucial to the research and proof of a lot of problems of
Xizhou history and culture. He believed that more astonishing discoveries would
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