Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City 良渚古城遗址公园

Welcome, everyone, to Liangzhu Ancient City Archaeological Park. Our tour begins right here at the south entrance.

Liangzhu Ancient City Archaeological Park was built around the Liangzhu Ancient City site. In 2019, the site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming China's 55th World Heritage Site and a landmark proof of China's more than five thousand years of continuous civilization. We are currently standing at the south entrance of the park, where you will find the visitor center, ticket office, and guided tour services.

Before we head inside, a few things to keep in mind. First, the park covers a very large area, so we recommend purchasing a shuttle bus ticket to save your energy. Second, most of the archaeological zones are open-air earthen sites, so in summer please make sure to protect yourself from the sun and stay hydrated. Third, to protect the heritage, please do not step over any barriers or walk on or carve into the ruins.

Look up at the entrance building. Its design is clean and contemporary, while incorporating decorative motifs drawn from Liangzhu jade artifacts. Later today we will see where those motifs originate — the deity-and-animal-face pattern engraved on the jade cong unearthed from Fanshan Royal Cemetery.

Now, please follow me into the park. Our first stop is the Land City Gate Site.

Everyone, we have arrived at the Land City Gate Site — the main overland passage into the southern part of Liangzhu Ancient City.

Take a look around. This is not the kind of towering gatehouse we might picture today. Instead, what you see are traces of a corridor formed by three small earthen platforms flanking either side of a roadway. Archaeological evidence shows that the area originally had relatively low walls or earthen platforms, with a passage left in the middle for people to walk through. This gateway form reflects the Liangzhu people's early understanding of urban defense and traffic management, five thousand years ago.

The position of this gate was strategically important — it controlled the southern approach to the inner city. The inner city covered an area of roughly 3 square kilometers, equivalent to more than 400 football pitches. A city of that scale required clearly defined entrances and defensive structures, and this gate was one of the most important overland access points.

Look closely at the ground markings and the reconstruction models to trace the approximate route the road once followed. The walls were built up in layers of yellow earth and grass-wrapped clay — a technique invented by the Liangzhu people that was both durable and water-resistant. This method is known as grass-packed clay construction.

Photo tip: This spot works well with a mid-range shot combining the earthen platform remains and the interpretive signs. You can also have a companion stand in the middle of the passage for a "stepping through a five-thousand-year-old gateway" photo. Morning or late afternoon light brings out the contours of the earthen ruins most clearly.

Everyone, we have arrived at the Water City Gate Site. Unlike the land gate we just visited, this was the main waterway passage through Liangzhu Ancient City.

Liangzhu was built in the river-laced landscape of the Jiangnan region. Waterways criss-crossed the city, serving not only as a source of water for daily life but also as the main arteries for moving goods and connecting the city to the outside world. The Water City Gate Site marks where an ancient channel passed directly through the city walls, and archaeologists have discovered the remains of where the waterway and the wall intersected.

Look at how cleverly the Water City Gate was designed. Rather than blocking the flow of water entirely, the wall was built with an opening wide enough for boats to pass through, while defensive structures were constructed on either side. This design managed to preserve both the city's defenses and the free flow of water traffic — a testament to the sophisticated urban planning of the Liangzhu people.

Boats were likely an essential means of transport during the Liangzhu period. Archaeologists have uncovered numerous wooden structural remains and what appear to be dock sites at the Zhongjiagang ancient river channel and other locations, showing that water transport was already highly developed. Liangzhu people probably moved jade objects, stone tools, pottery, and other goods into the heart of the city by boat.

Photo tip: The area around the Water City Gate often features water or wetland scenery, making it ideal for shots that pair water reflections with the earthen platform remains. A polarizing filter can help cut glare off the water surface and bring out submerged features more clearly.

Everyone, we have arrived at the South City Wall Ruins — the surviving remains of the southern wall of Liangzhu's inner city and one of the key elements of the ancient city's entire defense system.

Take a look at how wide this wall base is — roughly 40 to 60 meters across. The original height has been greatly reduced by thousands of years of weathering, but the sheer scale still comes through. The wall was built up in alternating layers of yellow earth, grass-wrapped clay, and stone, with a moat running along the outer side, creating a combined "wall-plus-waterway" defense.

The inner city walls ran for a total length of about 6 kilometers, enclosing an area of roughly 3 square kilometers. A construction project of this scale would have required an enormous mobilization of labor and resources — clear evidence that Liangzhu society had developed powerful organizational capacity and the ability to coordinate resources at a state level.

At the South City Wall Ruins you can see the cross-section of the wall exposed by archaeological excavation, with distinct layers of different colors and textures clearly visible. These layers were not naturally deposited — they were carried here load by load and compacted layer by layer by the hands of the Liangzhu people. Standing before these ruins, you can almost picture thousands of workers laboring on this very spot five thousand years ago.

Photo tip: The South City Wall Ruins lend themselves to wide-angle shots that convey the wall's length and mass. If you have a drone, an aerial view showing the relationship between the wall and the surrounding waterways makes for a stunning image.

Everyone, we have arrived at the Zhongjiagang Ancient River Channel. Zhongjiagang was a major man-made waterway running through Liangzhu's inner city — the main artery of the ancient city.

Five thousand years ago, Zhongjiagang was not only the water source for residents inside the city but also the primary route for transporting timber, stone, grain, and other materials. Archaeologists have found large quantities of wooden components, stone tools, and pottery shards here — and even jade-working debris — suggesting that the banks of Zhongjiagang may have been a craft-production zone where artisans made jade objects, stone tools, and pottery.

Look at the site markers along both banks. Numerous houses and workshops were once built right along the water's edge. By harnessing a well-developed water transport network, Liangzhu people brought jade stone and raw materials from distant places into the heart of the city, where they were crafted into exquisite ritual objects and tools.

Zhongjiagang also carries a broader significance: it reveals the social division of labor within Liangzhu Ancient City. Different zones served different functions — the center held the palaces and ceremonial spaces, the surrounding area contained the aristocratic burial grounds, the riverbanks were lined with craft workshops, and the outer city was home to ordinary residents. This clear functional zoning is a hallmark of an early urban state.

Photo tip: There is usually a wooden boardwalk near Zhongjiagang along with interpretive signage — a shot looking down the boardwalk as it stretches into the distance creates a strong sense of depth across time. The reeds and riverside vegetation make excellent foreground elements.

Everyone, we have arrived at the heart of Liangzhu Ancient City — the Mojiaoshan Palace Site. This was the seat of royal power and religious life five thousand years ago, the equivalent of a Forbidden City for ancient Liangzhu.

Mojiaoshan consists of three artificially raised platforms: Damo Jiaoshan (the Great Mojiaoshan), Xiaomo Jiaoshan (the Small Mojiaoshan), and Wugui Shan (Tortoise Hill), covering a total area of about 30 hectares. The highest point rises more than 10 meters above the surrounding ground. Archaeologists have discovered the foundations of large buildings, rammed-earth remains, and abundant fire-reddened earth here, confirming that grand palace structures and ceremonial spaces once stood on these platforms.

Notice how the three platforms are arranged in a triangular formation, with the Great Mojiaoshan at the center as the highest-status position. Scholars believe this is where the king or chief priest conducted state affairs and performed ritual ceremonies. Standing on top of Mojiaoshan with a commanding view of the entire ancient city, the layout itself communicates the symbolism of power.

What is most awe-inspiring about the Mojiaoshan site is the sheer scale of the earthworks. Raising platforms of this size would have required tens of thousands — perhaps hundreds of thousands — of people laboring over many years, demonstrating that the Liangzhu state possessed extraordinary capacity for social organization and resource mobilization.

Photo tip: Mojiaoshan is one of the highest points within the archaeological park. From the top of the Great Mojiaoshan you can photograph a panoramic view of the ancient city. Linger here a while and use a wide-angle lens to capture the relationship between the platform and the sky — the result can be breathtaking.

Everyone, we have arrived at Fanshan Royal Cemetery — the highest-ranking burial ground at Liangzhu Ancient City, and what archaeologists have described as an "earthen pyramid."

Fanshan sits west of the Mojiaoshan Palace Site and is an artificially raised burial platform. Eleven tombs have been discovered here, yielding more than 1,200 exquisite jade artifacts, including jade cong tubes, jade bi discs, jade yue axes, and jade huang pendants, as well as stone axes, pottery, and many other burial goods. The most celebrated finds are the "King Cong" and the "King Yue" from Tomb 12, both of which bear a complete engraving of the deity-and-animal-face motif.

You may wonder why these are called royal tombs. The jade artifacts found here are the finest in quality and greatest in number anywhere at the site, and the tombs are located right next to the Mojiaoshan palace district, strongly suggesting that those buried here were the supreme rulers or members of the royal family of the Liangzhu state. The jade yue axe represents military authority; the jade cong tube represents spiritual power; and the jade bi disc represents wealth and status. Someone buried with all three held military power, religious authority, and material wealth in their hands simultaneously.

The deity-and-animal-face motif is the core religious symbol of Liangzhu culture. Combining a human face with an animal face, it typically appears at the four corners of jade cong tubes. Scholars believe it may represent the divine being worshipped by the Liangzhu people, embodying the idea of a union between the human and the divine.

Photo tip: The Fanshan Royal Cemetery area usually features tomb reconstruction displays and images of the artifacts unearthed. Try shooting compositions that combine the interpretive signs with the site models. Since the actual objects are mostly on display at the Zhejiang Provincial Museum and the Liangzhu Museum, we highly recommend visiting those after today's tour.

Everyone, we have arrived at Jiangjiashan Aristocratic Cemetery — another high-ranking burial ground within Liangzhu Ancient City, second in prestige only to the Fanshan Royal Cemetery.

The burial goods unearthed here are equally impressive, including jade objects, lacquerware, stone tools, and pottery. Judging by the variety and quantity of these items, those buried at Jiangjiashan were upper-class aristocrats who likely held important positions in religion, the military, or administration.

Notice how the tombs are arranged. They follow an orderly pattern with fairly consistent orientations and spacing, indicating that burial practices were already well-established and codified. Clear differences in the size of individual tombs and the quantity of burial goods reflect strict social stratification within Liangzhu society.

The discovery of Jiangjiashan Aristocratic Cemetery further confirms that Liangzhu Ancient City was an early state with a rigid hierarchy. The clustering of the royal cemetery and aristocratic burial grounds around the Mojiaoshan palace district shows that the power center and the ruling elite occupied the same spatial core.

Photo tip: The Jiangjiashan cemetery site is fairly open, making it well-suited for wide shots of the tomb grouping layout and the interpretive signs. For a sense of historical weight, try shooting from a low angle so that the earthen silhouettes of the ruins stand out against the sky.

Everyone, we have arrived at the Meirendi Site. Meirendi lies in the outer city zone and is a site of ordinary residential life and craft production — a striking contrast to the palace district and royal tombs we have just seen.

Archaeologists here have uncovered house foundations, rubbish pits, kiln remains, and craft workshop traces, along with large quantities of pottery, stone tools, and everyday objects. These finds tell us that Liangzhu Ancient City was home not only to kings and nobles but also to a large population of ordinary residents engaged in pottery-making, stone-tool production, textile work, and other crafts. They lived in modest dwellings and worked with simple tools, yet they kept this ancient capital running day after day.

The greatest value of the Meirendi Site lies in what it reveals about the grass-roots structure of Liangzhu society. Based on what has been found here, scholars have pieced together a picture of a city with clear occupational divisions and distinct social strata: the center held the palaces and ceremonial zones, surrounded by aristocratic burial grounds, with the residential areas and workshops of ordinary people and artisans spreading out beyond.

Take a moment to look at the reconstruction illustrations on the interpretive signs nearby, and imagine this place five thousand years ago — cooking smoke rising from hearths, craftsmen bent over their work. For photographs, the relatively flat terrain here is well-suited to wide shots of the site as a whole or close-ups of the interpretive sign details. A view with farmland in the background also works beautifully, conveying the deep bond between Liangzhu culture and its natural environment.

Everyone, we have arrived at the final stop of today's tour of Liangzhu Ancient City — the Zhishan Observation Platform. Zhishan is a naturally raised mound within the archaeological park that has been landscaped to become the best vantage point for taking in the full sweep of the ancient city.

Please step up onto the platform and look out in every direction. Straight ahead you can make out the outline of the Mojiaoshan palace district; the Fanshan Royal Cemetery is not far off; and the inner and outer city walls, along with the waterways, divide the ancient city into a clearly organized whole. Five thousand years ago, without any modern surveying equipment, the Liangzhu people planned a city with this level of precision and order — and that in itself is a remarkable achievement.

The most immediate impression from Zhishan is one of central symmetry and layered structure. Mojiaoshan sits at the heart of the city, ringed by the inner city walls, with the outer city and water-management system spreading out beyond. This pattern — radiating outward from a central core — echoes the planning principles that would define China's dynastic capitals for thousands of years to come.

Photo tip: This is an ideal spot for wide-angle panoramic shots of the ancient city, especially at sunrise or sunset when the soft light brings out the contours of the earthen ruins. For a photo with people, try using Mojiaoshan as your backdrop — it gives the image both a sense of history and visual depth.

And that brings our tour of Liangzhu Ancient City to a close. From the south entrance to the Zhishan Observation Platform, we have walked through the Land City Gate and the Water City Gate, climbed Mojiaoshan Palace Site, paid our respects at Fanshan Royal Cemetery, and looked out over the full layout of this ancient city. We hope this journey through five thousand years of civilization has given you a deeper understanding of China's earliest known state society. The power of Liangzhu lies not only in the scale of its ruins, but in what those ruins prove: the unbroken continuity of Chinese civilization stretching back more than five millennia. Thank you all, and safe travels.