History of Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture

As one of the cradle land of human beings, Chuxiong Prefecture has profound history and brilliant culture. From 1960s to 1980s, the fossils of the Ramapithecus which lived eight million years ago were discovered in Lufeng County; the fossils of man apes that lived three million years ago were unearthed in Yuanmou County. In 1965, the Homo erectus yuanmouensis fossils, the stoneware as well as the traces of using fire were discovered in Yuanmou County. In 1975, the earliest bronze drums of the world, which indicates that the ancient ancestors of Chuxiong created the ‘Bronze Culture’ in 2,500 years ago.