Liaoning is the core area of Hongshan Culture and the key area of related research.

Discovered in 1981, the archaeological excavation of the second location of Niuheliang Site began in the early winter of 1983 and lasted until 1998. The site is 130 meters long from east to west and 45 meters wide from north to south. It covers an area of 5,850 square meters and consists of five accumulative stone tombs and one altar. A total of 50 tombs with various types during the Hongshan Culture period were discovered, with 98 pieces of jade articles unearthed.

The accumulative stone tombs are laid with the three-layered altar as the center, with various shapes and specifications in terms of tomb bodies. The graves inside feature various types as well as distinct rankings, where the one in the center is of the highest-ranking position, with burial articles all made of jade, reflecting the paramount position of the owner. These characteristics systematically show major changes in the burial and sacrificing system caused by social hierarchy differentiation in the late period of the Hongshan Culture. It demonstrates that the ancestors living in the Hongshan Culture period had stepped into the stage of ancient state, and is called the “King’s mausoleum” five thousand years ago by archaeologists.