C-shaped jade dragon, a representative cultural artifact from Hongshan culture.

Hongshan culture, originating in the southwest of northeast China and spreading along the Xiliao River Basin in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Chaoyang, Liaoning Province, is the most famous Neolithic site dating back to 5,000–6,500 years ago in northeast China. It is known for its harmony with nature and its open communication with neighboring regions that represent the development and integration of the Chinese nation.

It used to be believed that the Yellow River and the Yangtze River basins were the major birthplaces of the Chinese civilization, while Hongshan culture was just a branch or a hybrid culture of north and south China. However, the excavations of the Niuheliang and Dongshanzui sites shifted the focus of prehistoric study from the Yellow River Basin up to the north, expanded the research sphere of Chinese civilization from the Central Plains to the north to the Yan Mountains, and academically confirmed the 5,000–year history of Chinese civilization, much longer than previously believed 4,000 years. The recently excavated Weijiawopu site in Chifeng and Banlashan site in Chaoyang, in particular, managed to further identify Hongshan culture's special place and highlighted its individuality in Chinese civilization.

From the perspective of cultural genealogy, Hongshan culture was a vital and creative culture born from the collision between Yangshao culture in the Central Plains and northern prairie culture in the Xiliao River Basin; therefore, this culture mirrored both strong indigenous features and remarkable traits of Central Plains culture. That's to say, it had more than one source in its course of creation. Distinctive pottery decoration works and highly developed jade craftsmanship make Hongshan culture stand out among other Neolithic cultures in northeast China.