Park of ChinaOverview
| Designation | UNESCO World Heritage (cultural, 2019) |
| Name | Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City |
| Country | China |
| Nearby cities | Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou |
| Nearby sites | West Lake, Hangzhou 22km, Fuchun and Xin’an Rivers 110km, Classical Gardens of Suzhou 116km, Qiandao Lake 126km, Huangshan (Yellow Mountains) 178km Search nearby |
| Latitude, longitude | 30.40, 119.99 Google Maps |
| Themes | Ancient City, Prehistory, Culture, Water conservancy works |
About
Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City (良渚古城遗址) was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019 as a cultural site.
Why it was inscribed
A unique testimony to a cultural tradition or civilisation; an outstanding example of architecture or landscape.
The archaeological ruins of Liangzhu City, in Yuhang, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, date from about 3300 to 2300 BC. They comprise the walled city, an outer water-management system, the Yaoshan altar and cemeteries: the walls, palace platforms and high and low dams were huge earthworks for their time, and jade in the graves shows a clear social hierarchy. They show that an early state based on rice farming had arisen in the lower Yangtze more than 5,000 years ago.
Travel tips
Getting there: the site is in Liangzhu subdistrict, Yuhang District, about 20 km from central Hangzhou. Take the metro towards Liangzhu and change to a bus or taxi to the park, or take a taxi from Hangzhou direct, about half an hour.
Where to start: begin at the Liangzhu Museum, with its jade cong and bi discs and a model of the city, to get the overall layout, then walk the park.
The park: the Mojiaoshan palace area is a high platform at the centre of the city, and from the top you can see the extent of the site. The park is large; battery carts run between the main sites and bicycles can be rented.
Walls and dams: sections of the city wall are displayed in the park. The high and low dams in the valleys to the north are now mostly terrain and markers, and need the explanations to make sense.
Fanshan and Yaoshan: Fanshan is a high-status cemetery that yielded large numbers of jades. Yaoshan, with an altar and graves, lies on a small hill about 5 km north-east of the city and can be visited separately.
Time: half a day to a day for the museum and park together.
Season: spring and autumn are the most pleasant. Summer is hot and humid with little shade, so go early; winter is damp and cold.
Where to stay: most visitors stay in Hangzhou and make a day trip. For more time, stay in the Liangzhu new town area.
Combining: Hangzhou also has the West Lake and the Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal, so the three World Heritage sites in the city can be seen together.
Nearby
| World Heritage | West Lake, Hangzhou 22km, Classical Gardens of Suzhou 116km, The Grand Canal 161km, Huangshan (Yellow Mountains) 178km |
| National parks of China | Wuyishan National Park 363km |
| National parks | Mount Mogan 15km, Huan River and Wuxie 78km, Taiji Cave 80km, Lake Tai 92km |
| Detailed guides | The Three Hills of Lake Tai 73km |
| AAAAA attractions | Xixi Wetland Tourist Area 15km, Wuzhen Ancient Town Tourist Area, Tongxiang 61km, Nanxun Ancient Town Scenic Area 67km, Lu Xun's Hometown - Shen Garden Scenic Area 72km |
| AAAA attractions | Liangzhu Museum 4km, Jingshan 10km, Hangzhou Dream Town 11km, Xiazhu Lake Wetland 15km |
| Historic cities | Huzhou 54km, Shaoxing 72km, Jiaxing 83km |
| Cities | Hangzhou 22km, Suzhou 116km |
| Historical sites | Liangzhu Site <1km, Nanshan Sculptures 4km, Liyushan-Laohuling Dam Site 8km, Xiaogucheng Site 11km |
| National geoparks | Suzhou Taihu Xishan National Geopark 90km |
| Nature reserves | Tianmushan National Nature Reserve 54km, Lin'an Qingliangfeng National Nature Reserve 103km, Qingliangfeng National Nature Reserve 117km, Chinese Alligator National Nature Reserve 130km |
| Historic towns | Xinshi Town 37km, Linghu Town 40km |