The Chinese Authorities recognize more and more the vast cultural heritage thousand of generations have left to the actual inhabitants of the Empire of the Middle and start to integrate, with variable success, key shapes of this cultural heritage into official and private buildings.

Whereas previously hammer and sickle and busts of Lenin and Marx where centerpieces of parks and adorned official buildings, in Zheijiang Province now giant Congs, Taotie masks and awl shaped Jade ornament take their place.

One example of this shape revival is the Chiangnan Watery Region Culture Museum of China, located in Linping, about 40Km north-east of Hangzhou in the Zheijiang Province, PRC.

Linping Town is the seat of the local government of the Yuhang district, an administrative area of about 1220sq. Km and with about 1.1 Mio inhabitants. Most of the Liangzhu Jade Culture sites are located in the Yuhang district

In 2003 a new Museum was opened so to house a permanent exposition of local history artifacts, dioramas of local events such as Yang Naiwu and his Cabbage girl, the three sages from Nanhu Lake and a collection of Liangzhu Jades.


Satellite image of the region with Hangzhou and the West Lake (a), the Great Canal to Beijing (b), the Qiantang River (c) and Linping (d).

The Museum Building, located on People Square in the eastern part of Linping, is formed of four, three tier Liangzhu Cong shaped, interconnected building housing the expositions and administrative offices.

The park in front of the museum is dominated by reproduction of a Liangzhu Jade Three –pronged Plaque and an about 20m high Liangzhu Jade Awl shaped Ornament.



The “Chiangnan Watery Region Culture Museum” Building on Peoples Square/Park in Linping


The Museum entrance and the three pronged Liangzhu Jade plaque reproduction



The giant obelisk-type Liangzhu Jade Awl ornament and other shapes


The actual Liangzhu Jades, Bi’s, Congs, Plaques, Axes, Pendants etc are displayed in a separate underground hall in about 40 showcases with either a single or multiple Jade objects and individual lighting.


Display of a Liangzhu Bi with a picture of the Yaoshan excavation site in the background


Liangzhu Jade Cong excavated 1987 in Yaoshan (5.1 cm H x 12.5cm W)


D-Shaped Liangzhu Jade Plaque excavated 1987 in Fangshan (5.4 cm H x 11.7cm W)


Tortoise (3x2cm) in yellowish white Jade with brown veins and mottles from Fangshan 1987


Assembly of Langzhu Culture Jade Bi’s in a typical as-found position.

The Jade artifacts are described and illustrated with close-up pictures in a 85 pages Official Catalogue/Book (ISBN 986-7519-29-9) published 2004/10 with descriptions in Chinese and English.


Catalogue/Book “Treasure of Chiangnan Watery Region Culture Museum of China”
In the Hangzhou region three Museums display Liangzhu Jade artifacts. The most convenient one to visit is the Zheijiang Provincial Museum on the West Lake in Hangzhou. The Musuem in Liangzhu Town shows next to Jades also the famous black Pottery and is on the road to the Fangshan, Yaosan and other Liangzhu Culture sites. The Linping Museum is the newest one, but located off the main tourist circuit near and around Hangzhou.


1) The Zheijiang Provincial Museum
2) The Liangzhu Town Museum

If you have plenty time visit all three of them (one day tour) otherwise see that in Hangzhou!


Herbert Giess
May 2005