The 43rd UNESCO World Heritage Committee is meeting in Azerbaijan to discuss the inscription of new sites on its World Heritage List. China has submitted "Liangzhu Archaeological Site" for selection, with the final result expected to be announced in the near future.
Fascinating jade objects discovered at Liangzhu are over 5,000 years old. Archaeologists working on the site since the 1980s excavated them near Zhejiang Province's Hangzhou. From exquisite jade artefacts to pottery, various burial objects have been found in what were believed to have been funeral plots.
Liu Bin, the director of Zhejiang Cultural Relics and Archeology Research Institute told CGTN that over 5,000 years ago, communities emerged along the rivers in ancient Egypt and India, and like them Liangzhu was a similar state-level society.
A mysterious emblem worshipped by Liangzhu people over 5,000 years ago. / Photo courtesy of Liangzhu Archeology Ruins Management Bureau
With the ruins of the ancient Liangzhu city first discovered in 2007, archaeologists have since embarked on a journey to unravel the mysteries of the Chinese civilization evolving there at the time.
Various animals and symbolic characters were inscribed on pottery jars and even jade artworks. Experts say it shows that the people of Liangzhu started to record their ways of life about 5,000 years ago, a landmark discovery in tracking down the beginnings of the Chinese language and writing system.
This is one of the most important jade artifacts discovered in Liangzhu, and is believed to have been used for religious purposes. /Photo courtesy of Liangzhu Archaeology Ruins Management Bureau
To better promote Liangzhu culture, the Liangzhu museum was redesigned to attract more visitors from China and abroad.
Director of Liangzhu Museum Zhou Liming told CGTN they will create more comic books and other products to promote Liangzhu culture among the younger generations.
A new archaeological park is set to open very soon to further promote Liangzhu culture. /Photo courtesy of Liangzhu Archaeology Ruins Management Bureau
Liangzhu is considered another piece of evidence of the ancient Chinese civilization. Liu Bin told CGTN that applying for the World Heritage List will also help better preserve this ancient civilization, since people from across the world will get to know about it.
Liangzhu's excavation is still underway and local authorities are using the latest technologies and facilities to monitor the sites. They are also set to open the Liangzhu Archaeological Park soon in order to help people get more information about the city's glorious past.