Archaeological excavations are underway at the ancient city of Yueyang, located in Yanliang District, Xi'an City, central China's Shaanxi Province. This is the place where the famous statesman Shang Yang carried out his profound political reforms during the Qin (221-206 BC) and Han (206 BC–220 AD) dynasties.

Yueyang is also the first city in the history of China to have carried out political reforms.

"As the capital of Qin Dynasty and the early Han Dynasty during the Warring States Period, Yueyang had an elaborate urban layout," said Liu Rui, the leader of the excavation team.

Liu also explained how this work was extremely valuable in understanding the rationale behind Qin and Han dynasties' choice of Yueyang as the capital city. It also gives insight into the historical development of Chinese cities, as it is the place where the reforms began, he added.

Located between Shichuan and Qinghe rivers, Yueyang is one of the key cultural relics sites in China. Archaeological excavations show that Yueyang had a high-grade architecture, and excavated building materials show that this ancient city had a profound impact on Xianyang and Chang'an cities.