Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City

Liangzhu is a historic name. While whisking off the dust of 5000-year history and appreciating this ancient site, the cradle of early human civilization, we can see fascinating waters, soft jade wares and glory of human wisdom. In 2019, Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, located in Zhejiang province, was put on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural site.

Jade bi (Fanshan M2323)

Jade cong (Fanshan M1298)

Located in the Yangtze River Basin on the south-eastern coast of China, the archaeological ruins of Liangzhu (about 3,300-2,300 BCE) reveal an early regional state with a unified belief system based on rice cultivation in Late Neolithic China. The property is composed of four areas – the Area of Yaoshan Site, the Area of High-dam at the Mouth of the Valley, the Area of Low-dam on the Plain and the Area of City Site. These ruins are an outstanding example of early urban civilization expressed in earthen monuments, urban planning, a water conservation system and a social hierarchy expressed in differentiated burials in cemeteries within the property.

Aerial view 1 of City Site (from southwest to northeast) / Hangzhou Liangzhu Archaeological Site Administrative District Management Committee

Wooden wharf remains at the settlement site in Bianjiashan Terrace (from west to east) / Johansen Krause

Fanshan Cemetery (from south to north) / Hangzhou Liangzhu Archaeological Site Administrative District Management Committee

Liangzhu Museum

“The Waterborne Kingdom – Online Exhibition of Liangzhu Civilization” has four major exhibition halls. It comprehensively demonstrates different aspects such as cultural characteristics, structures of the royal palace, jade relics and derived audio-visual art. By leveraging advanced interactive technologies, the online exhibition restores the Liangzhu Royal Palace through animation and embedded videos, creating an immersive experience that will bring people back to Liangzhu period.