The Maotianshan shales known as Chengjiang ranks as one of the most important Lagerstätten fossil sites in the world. The Chengjiang site is located in the Yunnan Province of China in the villages of Ercaicun and Chengjiang near the city of Kunming. Some 50 meters of mudstone sediment are exposed, yielded many excellently preserved soft-bodied creatures of the Cambrian Explosion. Dated at 525 million years ago, it lies just above the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary at 544 million years ago.

Fossils of Chengjiang China
Haikouella lanceolata Primitive Chordate	Xidazoon stephanus Phylum Vetulicolia (?)	Microdictyon sinicum Lobopodian	Leanchoilia illecebrosa Opabinid Arthropod
Anomalocaris saron Anomalocarididae Grasping Appendage	Yannanozoon lividum Hemichordata	Chengjiangocaris longiformis Rare Primitive Arthropod	Luolishania longicruris Lobopodian
Vetulicola cuneata Enigmatic Extinct Phylum Vetulicolia	Lingulella chengjiangensis Brachiopod	Isoxys paradoxus Arthropod	Isoxys auritus Arthropod
Tuzoia sinensis Phyllocarid	Paucipodia inermis Lobopodian	Xandarella spectaculum Arthropod	Haikouella lanceolata Early Chordate
Eldonia eumorpha	Combinivalvula chengjiange Shelled Arthropod	Hazelia Desmosponge	Heliomedusa orienta Brachiopod
Xianguangia sinica Primitive Cnidarian (Sea Anemone)	Ercaicunia multinodosa Arthropod	Onychodictyon ferox Nemantomorpha worm	Maotianshania cylindrica Nemantomorpha worms
Cotyledion tylodes Putative Echinoderm	Fuxianhuia protensa Arthropod	Maotianshania cylindrica Nemantomorpha worm	Sicyophorus rarus Priapulid Worm
Mafangocaris multinodus Arthropod	Acosmia maotiania Priapulid Worm	Fuxianhuia protensa Death Assemblage Arthropod	Clypecaris pteroidea Arthropod
Acanthomeridion serratum Rare Arthropod	Palaeolenus lantenoisi Trilobites	Naraoiidae:Naraoia spinosa (spinose arthropod)	Anomalocarididae Enigmatic Phylum
Banffia confusa Vetucolian	Naraoiidae: Misszhouia (Naraoia) longicaudata Trilobiotamorpha	Cricocosmia jinningensis Nematomorph Worm	Parapaleomerus sinensis Rare Arthropod
Canadaspis laevigata Arthropod	Cardiodictyon catenulum Lobopodian	Vetulicola rectangulata Vetulicolian	Palaeopriapulites parvus Priapulid Worm
Alalcomenaeus Opabinid Arthropod	Misszhouia longicaudata Arthropod	Fortiforceps foliosa Great Appendage Arthropod	Paleoscolex sinensis Nematomorph
Kuamaia lata Arthropod	Kunmingella douvillei Arthropods	Skioldia aldna Arthropod	Jianfengia multisegmentalis Nematomorph
Yunnanocephalus yunnanensis Trilobite	Wutingasps tingi Trilobite	Waptia ovata Arthropod	Cindarella eucalla Arthropod
Corynetis brevis Priapulida	Eoredlichia intermedia Trilobite	Haikoucaris ercaiensis Chelicerate Arthropod	Saperion glumaceum Arthropod
Juvenile Naraoia spinosa Arthropod	Panlongia tetranudosa Arthropod	Longtancunella chengjiangensis Brachiopoda