Why go
Liangzhu was a late Neolithic culture (c. 3400–2250 BCE) based in the Yangtze delta. Its people built a 300-hectare walled city with earthen ramparts, an elaborate water-management system of dams and canals, and a powerful elite whose tombs are filled with ritual jade — the famous cong tubes and bi discs with their mask motifs.
The discovery of this urban scale, hydraulic engineering and jade craft overturned the assumption that Chinese civilisation began with the Shang. In 2019 UNESCO inscribed Liangzhu as evidence of a regional early state — contemporary with Egypt's Old Kingdom.
- The earthen city walls — still traceable on the landscape
- The Fanshan and Huiguanshan elite burial platforms
- The Liangzhu Museum with its famous bi and cong jade artefacts
- The ancient dam system — among the world's earliest large hydraulic works
What to see
Start at the Liangzhu Museum, designed by David Chipperfield, which holds the finest jades — including the largest cong in the world, carved with the 'divine face' motif. The exhibitions explain the culture, its hydrology and its sudden disappearance around 2300 BCE.
Walk or cycle the archaeological park. The grass-covered city walls are partially reconstructed; paths lead to the Fanshan tomb platform where elite jades were found, and the Mojiaofo hydrological dam site, part of the world's earliest known large dam system.
The site is green and spacious — bring a picnic. Combine with a half-day at the Grand Canal in Hangzhou for a deep-history tour.
Practical notes
The site covers a large area; rent a bike at the entrance or use the park shuttle. English signage is limited; the museum has better translations.
Getting there
- Metro Line 2 to Liangzhu, then bus
- Drive from Hangzhou centre (40 min)
- Founded
- c. 3300 BCE
- Area
- 300-hectare walled city
- UNESCO
- World Heritage since 2019
