良渚古城遗址 | |||||||
Ruins of west city walls | |||||||
Location | Pingyao and Liangzhu, Yuhang district, Hangzhou | ||||||
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Region | Zhejiang | ||||||
Coordinates | 30°23′44″N 119°59′27″E / 30.39556°N 119.99083°E | ||||||
Type | Settlement | ||||||
History | |||||||
Cultures | Liangzhu culture | ||||||
Site notes | |||||||
Discovered | 1936 | ||||||
Management | Liangzhu Archaeological Site Administrative District Management Committee | ||||||
Website | Official website (in Chinese) | ||||||
Official name | Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City | ||||||
Location | ![]() | ||||||
Criteria | (iii), (iv) | ||||||
Reference | 1592 | ||||||
Inscription | 2019 (43rd Session) | ||||||
Area | 1,433.66 ha (3,542.7 acres) | ||||||
Buffer zone | 9,980.29 ha (24,661.8 acres) | ||||||
Chinese name | |||||||
Traditional Chinese | 良渚古城遺址 | ||||||
Simplified Chinese | 良渚古城遗址 | ||||||
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Alternative Chinese name | |||||||
Traditional Chinese | 良渚遺址 | ||||||
Simplified Chinese | 良渚遗址 | ||||||
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The archaeological ruins of Liangzhu[a] City, or simply the Liangzhu site,[1][2] consist of a cluster of Neolithic sites located in the Liangzhu Subdistrict and Pingyao Town of Yuhang, Hangzhou, China.[3] Initially excavated by Shi Xingeng in 1936, the ruins were recognised to belong to a previously unknown civilisation, termed Liangzhu culture, in 1959.[4] The site was confirmed as an ancient city after the discovery of its city walls in 2006.[5]
Situated in the southwestern part of the Liangzhu cultural area, this city is thought to have been the political and spiritual centre of Liangzhu culture, exemplifying a prehistoric, rice-cultivating urban society of an early state in the Yangtze River basin. The site includes a walled city with palatial complexes, ceremonial areas, and an intricate hydraulic system, indicative of a highly developed society with centralised governance.[3] The hydraulic system of Liangzhu is by far the earliest known one in the world.[6] Existing from approximately 3300 to 2300 BCE, the city was ultimately abandoned, and the civilisation collapsed due to extensive flooding linked to climate change.[7]
Recognised as one of the earliest examples of Chinese civilisation,[8] the ruins are managed by the Liangzhu Site District Management Committee, which oversees the Liangzhu National Archaeological Site Park.[9] The city ruins, along with the Yaoshan site, were designated a major cultural heritage sites under national protection in 1996, while the hydraulic system received provincial protection in 2017.[10] Together, these sites were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019.[8]
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