The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City [Photo/VCG]

The first Liangzhu Culture and Art Week, an event designed to honor the history of the Liangzhu Archaeological Site, which was recently added to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List, was launched in the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City on Oct 18.

The cultural week was also held to mark the 10th anniversary of the National Archaeological Site Park League, which was founded in 2011. 

During the event, a wide array of activities will be held to discuss and promote the unique Liangzhu culture. 

In the 100 days since the site made it onto the World Culture Heritage List, the ruins have received more than 200,000 Chinese and foreign visitors. 

The past 80 years have witnessed a number of breakthroughs in archaeological research of the Liangzhu ruins. A growing body of evidence points to an early civilization existing 4,300 to 5,300 years ago in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in South China. This early settlement likely played a vital role in shaping ancient Chinese civilization. 

Covering an area of 14.34 square kilometers, the city is composed of three sections, including Liangzhu ancient city, Yaoshan ruins, and a water conservancy system site.

More than 500 sites have been excavated to date, spanning East China's Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, as well as Shanghai.