Liangzhu seeks World Heritage status

The Liangzhu relic site, Neolithic ruins in Zhejiang province, was officially recommended on Friday by the National Commission of China for UNESCO as a candidate for World Heritage status in 2019.

The site on the outskirts of Hangzhou, Zhejiang's capital, dates to 3300-2300 BC, roughly contemporaneous with the Old Kingdom period in ancient Egypt and the Sumer civilization in Mesopotamia. It is a complex with various types of relics, including an ancient city, tombs and a dam.

"The Liangzhu relic is a holy place of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization," President Xi Jinping, once commented. "It's a rare treasure - we must protect it well."