Once the capital of many ancient Chinese dynasties, Hangzhou has a history that dates back over 8,000 years, to the Kuahuqiao Culture of the Neolithic Age. Today, the city is the capital of East China's Zhejiang Province. It is famous for its scenic spots, especially the beautiful West Lake, and its rich historical and cultural heritage.

Remarkable jade artifacts

One part of Hangzhou’s ancient history is the Liangzhu Culture, which dates from the late Neolithic period, when humans first learned to plant crops and domesticate animals. First discovered in 1936, the Liangzhu, who date from 3310 BC to 2250 BC, eventually were absorbed into the Shang Dynasty, which lasted from roughly 1600 BC to 1000 BC.

But today, the Liangzhu are best remembered for their distinctive jade artifacts. Used mostly in religious ceremonies, Liangzhu jade is broadly divided into two types: “bi” and “cong.” “Bi” jade was generally took the form of a circular ring, and was used to worship Heaven, while “cong” was an elongated square tube used to worship the Earth.

Often, Liangzhu jade features what is known as a “taotie mask design,” which is an elaborately carved inscription on the jade in the shape of a face. The earliest such designs have been found in the Liangzhu ruins, and they were imitated by later dynasties.

Over 5,000 pieces of jade have been discovered in the Liangzhu ruins to date.

Exhibition and Museum

An exhibition featuring more than 100 pieces of jade and pottery from the Liangzhu Culture opened in Sweden on July 1, and will run for more than one month. It will also showcase silk, hand-made arifacts, and other special Hangzhou products.

The exhibition was put on in part through cooperation with the Liangzhu Culture Museum, which is about ten kilometers from downtown Hangzhou.

The museum, covering 8,590 sq m2, is divided into three main exhibition halls, where over 400 cultural relics, including some spectacular jade pieces, are on display. For archeology aficionados and anyone interested in Chinese jade, it is well-worth a visit.

The first hall mainly displays cultural relics from different periods of the Liangzhu Culture, including advanced pottery making techniques, textile and jade-making craftsmanship. The second exhibition room displays more jade and pottery. The third room has a replica of a Liangzhu large tomb found and a number of other smaller small-sized tombs.

Unique style

Hangzhou is also the place of origin of an even earlier civilization known as the Kuahuqiao Culture.

Although it is less well-known than the Liangzhu, the Kuahuqiao Culture is over 8,000 years old, meaning that Hangzhou is one of the oldest continuously settled areas in China.

Located in Xianghu Village in the outskirts of Hangzhou, the Kuahuqiao site was first discovered in 1990, and archeologists unearthed sophisticated painted pottery, unglazed pottery, stoneware and jade artifacts from the site. A second excavation was carried out in 2001.

While there were many wooden, stone and pottery utensils unearthed from the site, archeologists say a lack of tripods and stones with drilling holes indicates that hunting the Kuahuqiao people were likely hunters and gatherers.

"This means the site has got the characteristics of a very early age," said Yan Wenming, a Peking University professor and researcher at the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

"The culture of Kuahuqiao is very unique," said Yan. "It can hardly be compared to any other ancient cultures discovered in the province, and we found it difficult to put it into the cultural chronology within our knowledge," he added.