Ancient ruins proving 5,000 yrs of Chinese civilization to apply for world cultural heritage

China will apply for world cultural heritage status for the Liangzhu ruins in Zhejiang Province in 2019, which can prove the use of Chinese characters dating back about 5,000 years, according to the Secretariat of China National Commission for UNESCO, thepaper.cn reported Friday. 

The archeological site of the Liangzhu ancient city ruins in east China's Zhejiang Province. [Photo: xuexixiaozu WeChat account]

The ruins of the ancient city of Liangzhu, dating back to 3,300 - 2,300 BC, is located in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. It indicates that there was once a civilization in the lower parts of the Yangtze River that was based on an economy of growing rice and had clear social distinctions. 

The Liangzhu ruins were discovered in 2007. Archaeologists also found that the residents of Liangzhu had started using Chinese characters 5,000 years ago, which pushes the use of characters back another 1,000 years from the previously confirmed 4,000 years of history. 

Liangzhu ancient city ruins in east China's Zhejiang Province. [Photo: thepaper.cn]

The ruins remain largely intact and confirm the level of agricultural accomplishments along the Yangtze River dating back to 5,000 years ago, providing significant evidence of the Chinese civilization for that time. The ruins can also fill a gap on the World Heritage List of archaeological sites from the Neolithic Period in Central and East Asia. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping has shown concern for the protection of the Liangzhu ruins. When he was working in Zhejiang Province, he twice undertook research on the ruins, saying that Liangzhu is an embodiment of ancient Chinese civilization. 

An emblem on a jade artifact unearthed at the Liangzhu site, dating back 5,300 years. [Photo: thepaper.cn]

In addition, a hydraulic system was found around the ruins. The waterway system was comprised of eleven dams and formed a water storage area of 12.4 square kilometers. According to International Business Times, the project was one of the ancient world's largest water engineering projects, and it has been confirmed that the water system along the Yangtze River Delta dates back 5,100 years, making it the oldest project in the world. 

The hydraulic system can supply water from the Yangtze River to the city's inhabitants and for agricultural use. The discovery of the waterway system indicates that an ancient civilization in the lower part of Yangtze River is indeed a truth.