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A groundbreaking ceremony was held on July 3 in Pinghu, Jiaixng, East China's Zhejiang province, for the construction of the Zhuangqiao tomb archaeological site park.

The Zhuangqiao tomb is an important example of Liangzhu Culture that can date back more than 5,000 years. The tomb covers an area of about 695,000 square meters. It was discovered in 2003 in three administrative villages, including Qunfeng village, Gonghe village and Chenjiang village.

From 2003 to 2006, after two archaeological excavations, 271 neatly arranged tombs were discovered within a range of 2,500 square meters.

Relics unearthed from the Zhuangqiao tomb. [Photo/WeChat account: phfabu]

Combined type stone plows representing the high development level of the Liangzhu period, primal characters proving the existence of Liangzhu civilization, and a large number of pots and stone tools with carvings were unearthed.

In 2013, the Zhuangqiao tomb was recognized as a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council. In 2018, it was designated as a provincial archaeological site park by the Zhejiang Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics.

A rendering of the Zhuangqiao tomb archaeological site park. [Photo/WeChat account: phfabu]

The Zhuangqiao tomb archaeological site park will have an area of 693.7 mu (46.24 hectares), with an estimated investment of 150 million yuan ($22.37 million). Construction is divided into three phases, with the first phase scheduled to be completed by 2022.