Liángzhū Tourism-Archaeological Park: Evidence of Neolithic Water Management in the Taihu Lake Basin, China

Abstract

Liangzhu Ancient City, located in the Taihu Lake Basin of China, is a Neolithic site. In 2019, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and developed into a tourist park for public visitation. It provides new evidence for understanding water management in the Neolithic Taihu Lake Basin of China. Water management was the primary consideration during the planning of Liangzhu Ancient City, a stark contrast to urban construction practices post the Xia Dynasty. Resolving the conflict between land and water formed the foundation for the sustainable development of Liangzhu civilization, evident in the management of rivers and marshes during the construction of city walls, settlements, moats, and farmland. The embankment complexes in the outskirts represent the largest-scale water conservancy projects of the Neolithic era discovered in China to date.