The Last Touch: A Salvage Record of the Xijiang Civilization Before Submersion

Author: Beijing Youth Daily
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: In the past, the history of the Three Gorges civilization was mostly documented in historical records without modern archaeological evidence. This time, cultural relic experts aim to reveal the evolution, development, and unique role of the Three Gorges civilization in the broader context of Chinese civilization's development—perhaps the last chance for such a revelation. Archaeologists are working tirelessly to rescue the civilization of the Xijiang region, timing every second to preserve its legacy. Finally, we have found the best fit—using archaeological findings in the Xijiang area as a platform to document the remnants of civilization being rescued from land that will soon be submerged, exploring and touching the history of the Xijiang civilization. We aim to record the last discoveries, providing a comprehensive overview of the Xijiang civilization; we aim to document the last rescue efforts, telling future generations how we worked diligently to preserve culture. Thus, we planned this series of reports, which is today's The Last Touch—A of the Xijiang Civilization Before Submersion.
The newspaper assembled a large-scale reporting team. Twelve journalists visited the Three Gorges multiple times between December 2002 and April 2003, living and working under harsh conditions alongside archaeologists, enduring hardships even during New Year celebrations. They interviewed a wide range of individuals, gathering extensive material and photographs. Editors in Beijing organized the collected data, with reference books piled high on their desks. After six months of work and three revisions, they meticulously crafted 17 reports, creating a "masterpiece" that chronicles the civilization of the Xijiang region.