A bronze celestial tree in the Sanxingdui Museum. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Other exhibits at the Sanxingdui Museum shed light on kings of the Shu Kingdom.

One of them is a gold scepter 143 cm long, with a diameter of 2.3 cm and weighing 463 grams.

It was unearthed in the Sanxingdui Ruins in 1986 after the Sichuan Provincial Archaeological Team took action to stop a local brick-making factory from digging up the mounds.

Speaking about the find, Chen, who was then a team leader, says that after his team found the scepter Chen told onlookers that the scepter was made of copper.

Later, in response to the team's request, the county government of Guanghan sent 36 soldiers to guard the site where the scepter was found.