Tourists line up to visit a relics museum inside the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Feb. 26, 2025. A museum for cultural relics unearthed at different phases during the construction of Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, the largest one of its kind in northwest China, opened to the public at the airport on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

XI'AN, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- A museum displaying cultural relics unearthed during different phases of the construction of Xi'an Xianyang International Airport has opened to the public at the airport Wednesday.

As the largest air transportation hub in northwest China, the airport is located in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province.

The museum covers a total area of 6,400 square meters and exhibits cultural relics spanning several historical periods of ancient China, said Hou Chao, manager of the cultural operations department at China West Airport Group (Xi'an) Commercial Development Company.

"In the future, the museum will improve its exhibition design and integrate advanced technologies, incorporating AR displays and virtual reality," Hou added.

From June 2020 to October 2022, during the third-phase expansion of the airport, 6,848 ancient cultural relics sites were discovered.

These included 4,093 ancient tombs and 2,755 sites such as pottery kilns, ash pits, enclosures and roads, and over 22,000 artifacts were unearthed.

Xi'an is a renowned tourist destination in China that boasts a rich legacy. Home to the famous Terracotta Warriors and numerous other historic sites like the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and the Bell Tower, Xi'an was founded over 3,100 years ago and served as the capital of 13 dynasties in China. ■

This photo taken on Feb. 26, 2025 shows a hairpin from Tang Dynasty (618-907) at a relics museum inside the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. A museum for cultural relics unearthed at different phases during the construction of Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, the largest one of its kind in northwest China, opened to the public at the airport on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

This photo taken on Feb. 26, 2025 shows pottery figurines shaped 12 Chinese zodiac signs from Tang Dynasty (618-907) at a relics museum inside the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. A museum for cultural relics unearthed at different phases during the construction of Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, the largest one of its kind in northwest China, opened to the public at the airport on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

Tourists visit a relics museum inside the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Feb. 26, 2025. A museum for cultural relics unearthed at different phases during the construction of Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, the largest one of its kind in northwest China, opened to the public at the airport on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

Tourists visit a relics museum inside the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Feb. 26, 2025. A museum for cultural relics unearthed at different phases during the construction of Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, the largest one of its kind in northwest China, opened to the public at the airport on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

Tourists visit a relics museum inside the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Feb. 26, 2025. A museum for cultural relics unearthed at different phases during the construction of Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, the largest one of its kind in northwest China, opened to the public at the airport on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

This photo taken on Feb. 26, 2025 shows a colored pottery work in the image of a camel from Northern Zhou Dynasty (557-581) at a relics museum inside the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. A museum for cultural relics unearthed at different phases during the construction of Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, the largest one of its kind in northwest China, opened to the public at the airport on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

Tourists visit a relics museum inside the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Feb. 26, 2025. A museum for cultural relics unearthed at different phases during the construction of Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, the largest one of its kind in northwest China, opened to the public at the airport on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)