Xiaoliuwang Site

Xiaoliuwang Site

The Xiaoliuwang Site is a cultural heritage conservation unit of Zhejiang Province.

The Xiaoliuwang Site is located in Rongxing Village, Tudian Town, Tongxiang. The site stretches 250 meters from north to south and 120 meters from east to west, covering an area with its eastern boundary near the residential area of Shenjiamen Group, southern boundary along the northern bank of Xiaoyangtan Pond between Shenjiamen Group and the southwestern Xiejiamen Group, western boundary along the north-south oriented Bajiaqiao Port on the eastern side of Xiaoliuwang Group, and northern boundary at Tangfangqiao Port to the north.

Discovered in November 1971 during the construction of a rural tractor road, the site has been well preserved over the years. At its center lies a high earthen mound, traditionally believed to be the burial site of Lü Xizhou, a Tongzhengshi official from the Ming Dynasty, locally known as “Lü’s Grand Tomb.” The tomb faces south with its back to the north, featuring a 12-meter-high earthen mound that is 64 meters long from east to west and 34 meters wide from north to south, with an oval-shaped surface. The mound is flanked by rivers on both the north and south sides, and originally had a spirit way in front of the tomb, with stone beasts and statues (wengzhong) on either side, though these have now been destroyed.

Tudian Town, where the Xiaoliuwang Site is located, lies in the southeastern part of Tongxiang and is a concentrated distribution area for Liangzhu culture sites. Within a radius of less than 4 kilometers around the Xiaoliuwang Site, there is a cluster of important Liangzhu culture-era sites including the Yaojiashan Site, Xiaoliuwang Site, Pu’anqiao Site, Yangjiache Site, Jinglingtou Site, Jinjiabang Site, and Balabang Site. The Xiaoliuwang Site is situated right at the center of this cluster. In 2004, archaeological excavations at the Yaojiashan Site, less than 100 meters away from Xiaoliuwang, uncovered seven noble tombs from the Liangzhu culture, yielding a large number of precious artifacts — these are considered the highest-ranking tombs discovered in recent Liangzhu culture excavations. Research suggests that the Xiaoliuwang Site area was a secondary center of Liangzhu civilization, holding significant historical and cultural heritage value.

In January 2011, it was designated as part of the sixth batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Conservation Units.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Conservation Units