Ancient Relics Site of Liangzhu

Ancient Relics Site of Liangzhu

The Ancient Relics Site of Liangzhu is a protected cultural heritage site under Haishu District.

The Ancient Relics Site of Liangzhu is located in Liangzhu Village, Gaoqiao Town, Haishu District, and was declared a district-level cultural relics protection unit on November 18, 1994.

The site borders the suburbs of Ningbo to the east, about 8 kilometers from the city center, and lies near the original 100-li-long Yao River to the northwest. Yongliang Highway runs across its southern end and connects to the Shanghai–Hangzhou–Ningbo Expressway.

The tomb features a "double-convex" shape with an antechamber and main chamber. It measures 10.20 meters in length from north to south and 1.0 to 5.25 meters in width from east to west, and is a single-chamber brick tomb with an arched ceiling. The remaining wall fragments stand 0.40 to 1.05 meters high. From south to north, it consists of four parts: a passageway, antechamber, corridor, and coffin chamber, all with brick-paved floors. The cultural layer of the tomb can be divided into three levels from top to bottom: the first is house foundation soil, the second is yellow backfilled soil, and the third is gray-brown soil inside the tomb chamber. The bricks used in the tomb include rectangular, knife-shaped, and wedge-shaped types. Burial objects were mainly found in the eastern part of the antechamber, including pottery stoves, jars, steamers, well jars, incense burners, five-tube bottles, and more than ten other types.

Since the tomb had been damaged in the past and no inscriptions on the bricks or artifacts could be used for dating, scholars have inferred, based on the structure, style of burial objects, and brick patterns, that it dates back to the early Western Jin Dynasty. No direct evidence of the tomb owner's identity has been found in the tomb, but its scale allows for speculation. Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, rulers implemented the Nine-Rank System for the selection of officials, which is also reflected in tomb structures. The tomb includes a passageway, antechamber, corridor, and coffin chamber, measuring 10.20 meters from north to south, suggesting that the tomb owner had held a certain official rank. “The higher ranks had no commoners, and the lower ranks had no influential clans.” Under the rigid aristocratic political system, burial objects of lower-ranking officials were relatively modest. This tomb aptly reflects the characteristics of the time, indicating that the tomb owner was a lower-ranking official born into a humble family.

Historical records indicate that Liang Shanbo was a native of Kuaiji during the Jin Dynasty. Regarding his death, the late Tang Dynasty text Xuanshi Zhi by Zhang Du states: "Shanbo later became the magistrate of Mao, fell ill, and died, and was buried west of Mao City (present-day Liangzhu Village, Gaoqiao Town, Yinzhou District, Ningbo)."

The Yinxian County Annals record: "The Temple of Righteous and Loyal King, also known as the Temple of Liang Shengjun, is located 16 li west of the county, west of Jiedai Temple, and enshrines Liang Shanbo, magistrate of Mao during the Eastern Jin Dynasty..." Legend has it that Liang Shanbo achieved notable political accomplishments during his tenure as magistrate of Mao. He died in the line of duty while working on the Yao River at a young age. The local people built a tomb for him at Jiulongxu in Ningbo’s Gaoqiao area (now the site of Liangzhu Cultural Park) to commemorate this clean and benevolent official who benefited the people.

Local authorities recognized the site as the birthplace of the beautiful legend of Liangzhu, rich in cultural significance and tourism value. They pooled funds to carry out large-scale renovations of the ancient relics and invited experts from various fields for a special symposium. A comprehensive development plan was formulated, and the site was officially named "Liangzhu Cultural Park." The overall plan centers around Liang Shanbo Temple and the Liangzhu love story as the main theme, aiming to reflect the cultural ambiance of the Liangzhu legend. The park’s main routes include the Grass Bridge Oath, the Eighteen Farewells, the Tower Meeting, and the Metamorphosis into Butterflies. With Jiangnan-style ancient architecture, the park is set against the landscape, creating layers of scenery within the park and combining movement with tranquility. Surrounding the main structures—the Liang Shanbo Temple and the Liangzhu Tomb—there will be large-scale, beautifully crafted Liangzhu reliefs, along with planned features such as the Grass Bridge, the Study Courtyard, Phoenix Mountain, Mandarin Duck Pond, Single-Log Bridge, Long Pavilion, Zhu’s Village, and Wansong Forest.

With the restoration of Liang Shanbo Temple and Tomb and the construction of Liangzhu Cultural Park, an increasing number of visitors now come to worship and tour the site in Gaoqiao Town. Even overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan make special trips and generously contribute. The touching legend of Liangzhu has shed its former tone of sorrow and resentment. The birthplace of Liangzhu is set to become a world-renowned tourist destination.

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