Recently, at the hands-on workshop in the Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins Park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, Russian visitor Kosareva Kseniia leaned over her workstation, intently focused as she repeatedly polished a water-dampened jade stone with a file—wetting, wiping, grinding, and wiping again. Her rhythmic movements reflected quiet patience and dedication.

“These aren’t just handicrafts,” she said. “Through these physical objects, I want to tell my family the story of a World Heritage site.”

Foreign tourists experience jade making techniques in the experience workshop of Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins Park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang.

To mark China’s 20th annual Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, reporters visited three of Hangzhou’s UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites—West Lake, the Grand Canal (Hangzhou section), and the Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins—to explore how the city is innovating in the protection, inheritance, and revitalization of its cultural heritage.

The Liangzhu culture serves as compelling evidence of over 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. The core of this culture lies at the Liangzhu archaeological site in Hangzhou.

Where Did Liangzhu Come From?

The name “Liangzhu” means “a beautiful islet amid water.” The site was first discovered in 1936. On July 6, 2019, the Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins were officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

A view of the Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins Park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang

“Extensive archaeological evidence clearly shows that Liangzhu had already developed into a civilized society as early as 5,300 years ago. It represents the earliest known state-level civilization in China, and also the earliest in East Asia,” said Chen Shoutian, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Zhejiang Provincial Association for the Protection and Utilization of Cultural Relics.

In international academic discourse, a society is typically considered a civilization only if it meets three criteria—evidence of writing, metallurgy, and urbanization—confirmed through archaeological excavation.

Foreign tourists visit Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins Park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province

Zhao Hui, former Dean of the School of Archaeology and Museology at Peking University, stated in an earlier interview that prior to the discovery of the Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins, many Western scholars believed China’s earliest civilization emerged around 3,500 years ago during the Shang Dynasty.

Since the 1980s, however, a series of major archaeological discoveries—particularly those related to the Liangzhu city site and its surrounding hydraulic systems—culminating in its UNESCO World Heritage listing, have led the international academic community to change its views. Many globally renowned archaeologists now openly recognize that “the Liangzhu society had already entered the stage of early state civilization 5,300 years ago.”

The people of Liangzhu held jade in the highest esteem and used it extensively. As a result, archaeological excavations have uncovered large quantities of exquisite jade artifacts such as cong and bi.

Foreign tourists visit Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins Park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province

“Only after trying it myself did I truly realize how advanced the jade craftsmanship of the Liangzhu people was 5,000 years ago,” said Zhao Zhao, a young visitor from Shaoxing, Zhejiang, as he polished a piece of jade. “Experiencing it near the archaeological site gives me a surreal sense of crafting side-by-side with our ancient ancestors across millennia.”

As one of the representative cultures in China's broader initiative to trace the origins of its civilization, Liangzhu is not only a cultural treasure of China, but also a shared legacy of all humanity.

Foreign tourists visit Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins Park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province

Today, the Liangzhu culture is being revitalized through ongoing innovation. Leveraging Zhejiang and Hangzhou’s strengths in the digital economy, efforts are underway to develop digital products based on the Liangzhu culture, enabling the world to truly “see and understand Liangzhu.”

“Profound heritage, exquisite relics.” At the Liangzhu Museum, the moment a visitor puts on AR glasses, virtual 3D artifacts spring to life in the palm of their hand, creating a mesmerizing fusion of antiquity and modernity.

With the smart integration of contemporary technology, distant history is no longer confined to cold text and static images—it becomes vivid, interactive, and engaging.

A view of the Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins Park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang

According to Wang Shu, Party Secretary and Director of the Liangzhu Ruins Administrative Committee, the local government has adhered to the principle of “protection first” while building the Liangzhu Ancient City Digital Experience Hall. This facility has launched a series of innovative programs such as virtual spring tours, livestream events, and online exhibitions, offering visitors fresh and engaging ways to deepen their understanding of Chinese civilization.

Meanwhile, in an effort to foster dialogue between Chinese civilization and other world civilizations—and to share the story of this “sacred cradle of civilization” with the global community—Liangzhu is actively building a “bring in and go out” international cooperation framework. Platforms such as the Liangzhu International Archaeological Center and China’s first national-level archaeological specimen warehouse dedicated to a key heritage site have since been established. (End)

译文：

体验数字技术中的良渚文明 在杭州感受中华文化魅力

近日，在浙江杭州良渚古城遗址公园的体验工坊内，来自俄罗斯的安吉(Kosareva Kseniia)俯身在工作台前，神情专注地拿锉刀在沾水的玉石上反复打磨，沾水、擦拭，再打磨、再擦拭，动作在循环中透着耐心。

“这些不只是手工艺品。”安吉说，“我要把世界遗产的故事，借由这些实物讲给家人听”。

时值中国第20个“文化和自然遗产日”，记者于近日走进西湖文化景观、中国大运河（杭州段）、良渚古城遗址三大世界文化遗产，了解杭州在文化遗产保护、传承与利用的创新路径。

良渚文化是中国五千多年文明史的重要见证。位于杭州的良渚遗址是良渚文化的核心遗址。

良渚从哪来？

“良渚”意即“美丽的水中之洲”。良渚遗址，1936年首次被发现。2019年7月6日，良渚古城遗址成功列入《世界遗产名录》。

“大量考古学物证充分证明，早在距今5300年，良渚已经进入了文明社会。良渚文明是迄今发现的中华大地上最早的国家文明，也是东亚地区最早的文明。”浙江省文物保护利用协会副会长兼秘书长陈寿田说。

在国际语境中，只有经过考古发掘实证具备“文字、金属、城市”三要素的才够得上“文明”。

北京大学考古文博学院原院长赵辉此前受访时表示，在良渚古城遗址被发现之前，很多西方学者认为，中国最早的文明起源是距今3500年左右的商代。

20世纪80年代以来，随着良渚古城、良渚古城外围水利工程等重大考古发现，特别是良渚古城遗址申遗成功，国际学术界改变了看法。众多世界知名考古学家公开承认“5300年前的良渚社会已经进入了早期国家文明阶段”。

良渚先民推崇玉文化、大量使用玉器。为此，该遗址考古出土了玉琮、玉璧等大量精美文物。

“自己体验过，才知道5000年前，良渚先民的制作工艺有多高超。”来自浙江绍兴的青年赵昭边打磨玉石边感慨，“在遗址区附近体验，有种穿越千年、与先民共制手工艺品的奇妙感觉”。

作为中华文明探源工程的代表性文化之一，良渚不仅是中国文明的瑰宝，也是全人类共同的财富。

当前，良渚文化正不断创新活化，借力浙江和杭州的数字经济先发优势，研究良渚文化数字产品，让世界能够真正“看懂良渚、读懂良渚”。

“底蕴深厚，文物精美。”在良渚博物院内，戴上AR眼镜的那一刻，虚拟3D文物瞬间跃然于安吉掌心之上，上演着一场古老与现代的奇妙邂逅。

得益于现代科技的巧妙融入，那些遥远的历史不再是冰冷的文字与图片，而是变得生动可感、可观可触。

据杭州良渚遗址管理区党工委书记、管委会主任王姝介绍，在“保护第一”的前提下，当地打造了良渚古城数智体验馆，开展了“云春游”“云直播”“云展览”等一系列活动，让大家在新奇的体验中加深对中华文明的认识。

与此同时，为推动中华文明与世界不同文明加强对话、增进共识，面向世界讲好“文明圣地”故事，良渚还在着力构建“请进来走出去”国际合作机制，良渚国际考古中心、首个国家重点地区考古标本库房等平台相继成立。（完）