China has to better protect heritage sites now

Editor's Note: The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City (3300 to 2300 BC) in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural site at the just concluded UNESCO World Heritage Committee session in Baku, Azerbaijan. Why is Liangzhu's heritage status so significant? Two experts share their views with China Daily's Yao Yuxin. Excerpts follow:

Convincing proof that Chinese civilization is 5,000 years old

The Chinese civilization is 5,000 years old. But some scholars argued the Chinese civilization's roots go only as far back as the Shang Dynasty about 3,500 years ago - and that it existed 1,500 years beyond that point was most probably a myth. These scholars projected their claim even more convincingly because China's previous archaeological sites could prove China's recorded history only up to the Shang Dynasty period (c 16th century to 11th century BC).