In Yanqian village, Sanming, Southeast China's Fujian province, stands Wanshouyan Hill, a site where 200,000-year-old human traces and the world's "earliest interior decoration" have been found.

The site comprises three large caves, including Lingfeng Cave and Chuanfan Cave, and four smaller caves. Cultural relics recovered from Lingfeng Cave have been dated to about 200,000 years ago, while materials from Chuanfan Cave and adjacent passages date to between 30,000 and 10,000 years ago.

The findings extend the known timeline of human presence in Fujian, filling a gap in regional prehistoric archaeology.

Selected as one of China's top 10 archaeological discoveries in 2000, Wanshouyan was once threatened by planned mining activities. Those plans were later halted following archaeological discoveries, allowing for the site's preservation and continued study.

Come experience the story of Wanshouyan Hill with China Daily reporter Rochelle as she steps into the Paleolithic site's caves and uncovers its significance in understanding early human history.