Guangfulin Site

Guangfulin Site

The Guangfulin Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Guangfulin Ancient Cultural Site (GuangfulinGuwenhuaYizhi) is located north of Guangfulin Village, Sheshan Town, Songjiang District. The artifact distribution area spans over 10,000 square meters. Discovered in 1959, it underwent two excavations in 1961 and 1979, uncovering two cultural layers from the late Neolithic Age and the Spring and Autumn–Warring States Period’s Wu-Yue culture. Artifacts including daily utensils, production tools, and jade objects were found, representing typical Liangzhu Culture remains. It was designated as a municipal-level protected site in 1977.

The ancient civilization of Guangfulin has been preliminarily confirmed through scientific archaeology. As early as 5,000 years ago, the ancestors of Songjiang lived and worked in this area. By the late Neolithic Age, around four to five thousand years ago, rice cultivation was already widespread, indicating a long agricultural history and advanced farming techniques. The region also has a long history of textile production, as evidenced by pottery spinning whorls from the late Neolithic Age unearthed at the site. From the Eastern Zhou to the Han Dynasty, it was home to a sizable settlement or town, though it gradually declined thereafter.

The stratigraphy is as follows: The first layer is a gray-brown soil layer, 0–0.48 meters deep (including about 20 cm of sand turned up from lower layers during canal digging), with loose soil. Artifacts include clay gray pottery, sandy red pottery—mostly plain, with some cord and mat patterns—and hard pottery mainly featuring rice-sieve motifs, along with lesser amounts of meander and grid patterns. Also found were fragmented stone tools, Tang and Song dynasty porcelain shards, and modern bricks and tiles. The second layer is a gray-yellow soil layer, 0.48–0.95 meters deep, with firmer soil. Artifacts such as stone axes, willow-leaf-shaped stone arrowheads, carved black pottery jars, ring-footed plates, perforated-handled pots, solid-footed vessels, and T-shaped foot tripods were uncovered, representing typical Liangzhu Culture remains. The third layer is an oxidized soil layer, 0.72–1.20 meters deep, with firmer soil and increased sand content. Artifacts become scarcer and resemble those found in the second layer.

Additionally, two Liangzhu Culture tombs were discovered in the western part of the site. Research indicates that the site contains two cultural layers: the late Neolithic Liangzhu-type culture and the Spring and Autumn–Warring States Wu-Yue culture, dating back approximately 4,000–2,500 years. In 1979, during excavation work south of Guangfulin Village, more Neolithic artifacts were found, also falling within the site’s scope.

In December 1977, it was designated as a Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Site. In May 2013, it was listed as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

Address: Guangfulin Site Park, Qiubai Road, Fangsong Subdistrict, Songjiang District, Shanghai

Type: Cultural Tourism Area

Opening Hours:

The scenic area is still under construction; public access has been prohibited since April 1, 2017.

Ticket Information:

Free admission.

Fangsong Subdistrict: Fangsong Subdistrict is part of “Songjiang New City,” one of the “one city, nine towns” developments in Shanghai’s suburban areas.

The area features flat terrain and a pleasant climate; a well-connected road network ensures convenient transportation. It boasts a thriving economy, advanced education and culture, numerous residential communities, and a beautiful living environment, making it the core area of Songjiang, an international garden city.

Since the reform and opening-up, in the process of building a modern suburban urban circle in Shanghai, the people of Fangsong have seized opportunities, pursued bold reforms, and strived for progress. With a spirit of urgency, they have accelerated urbanization and modernization, achieving remarkable results in economic development and social progress... More details about Fangsong Subdistrict ++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units