The solution, he explains, lay in emphasizing Nihewan's greatest strength: its long, continuous chain of cultural development.
"One of Nihewan's major advantages is the sheer number of sites that span an exceptionally long period," Wang says. "That allows us to show a clear progression, from the very beginning through later stages. Visitors can see and feel how change accumulated over time."
To make this history less abstract, the museum employs a mix of authentic artifacts and immersive technology. Life-sized reconstructions of extinct animals, including saber-toothed tigers, populate the galleries, offering a visceral sense of the environments early humans inhabited.
Animated projections visualize geological formations and animal migrations. Interactive screens and VR stations allow visitors to manipulate 3D models of stone tools, and understand the mechanics of their manufacture and use.
Among the most striking installations is an immersive diorama recreating the "First Feast" scene from the Majuangou site at Nihewan, which boasts 17 early Pleistocene cultural layers.
Another immersive installation brings to life the 40,000-year-old Xiamabei site also at Nihewan, showcasing the earliest-known evidence in East Asia of ochre pigment processing — an activity widely associated with symbolic behavior.
Within this high-tech environment, key artifacts anchor the story with undeniable physical presence.
Wang points to a 1.5-million-year-old bone tool from the Majuangou site.
"It was made from a herbivore limb bone, meticulously shaped. The pattern of scars shows it wasn't broken for marrow but was likely a planned digging tool," he says.
He says they have found over 100 decorative items from Xinmiaozhuang site's Location 5, mainly beads made from shell, ostrich eggshell and bone tubes, and some are so finely made.
This tangible evidence vividly illustrates a central theme running through the museum — the gradual but profound evolution of cognition and technology.
Xie points to a major leap from simple flakes to composite microblade tools around 20,000 years ago. He adds a remarkable insight.
