What if I told you that beneath this tranquil Guangfulin Lake lies a story? It is a story stretching back 5,000 years. This isn’t just any lake. It’s a window into Shanghai’s ancient past. Welcome to Guangfulin Lake.
Guangfulin Lake is more than just a scenic spot. It is the Guangfulin Cultural Relics Park. It offers a glimpse into the origins of Shanghai. Imagine inhabitants living here millennia ago. The relics of their culture are still being unearthed.
Explorations began in 1999. Archaeologists from the Shanghai Museum discovered late Neolithic relics. This was a first for the Taihu Lake area. Later discoveries included items from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty to the Han Dynasty.
These finds proved that Guangfulin was once a major settlement. It was a cultural, political, economic, and transportation hub. The park preserves Guangfulin’s original surroundings. Tourists explore authentic rural scenery. They can witness agriculture and agrarian culture.
The park features diverse exhibition areas. They showcase folk culture, religious culture, and local heritage. The Guangfulin Cultural Museum sits on Fulin Lake. It depicts Shanghai’s land formation evolution.
To the north, the Guangfulin Archaeological Site Exhibition Hall stands. It features three sections. They are themed “The Source of Civilization”, “The Light of the City”, and “The Veins of History”. These exhibitions showcase cultural relics. They reflect academic research results.
The unearthed building materials are impressive. Large-scale mortise and tenon rope pattern floor tiles were found. Also animal-face pattern tiles and bronze production tools.
In 1958, the digging of a watercourse unearthed cultural relics. They included a black pottery zun with spotted deer patterns. A battle axe was found inside.
Trial excavations in 1961 unearthed stone plows and pottery. These relics dated back over 4,000 years. The site covers about 7,000 square meters. Graves from a primitive patriarchal society were also discovered.
Further excavations revealed two tombs from the Liangzhu Culture period. The site has two cultural layers. They include Liangzhu Culture and Wu-Yue Culture.
In 1999, large architectural components were unearthed. Some say that this was the earliest town in Shanghai. Remains from the Late Neolithic Period were discovered in 2000. This was the first such find in the Taihu Lake region.
Archaeologists defined these as “Guangfulin Cultural Relics”. In 2001, square pits and rectangular pits were found. Also unearthed were graves, stone axes, sickles, and adzes.
The incomplete brass tripods discovered are the first of their kind in Shanghai. Five tombs with human bones facing different directions were found. This contrasts with the local Liangzhu Culture burial customs.
Residential remains were found to the west. There was a road paved with red baked soil blocks and pottery pieces. Buildings in stilt style and ground surface style were unearthed. Many pottery, porcelain, jade, stone, bone, and wooden wares were also found.
An ash pit contained preserved rice husk and other cereals. Remains of spotted deer horns, pigs, and tortoise shells were discovered. These remains offer insights into human activity and cultural evolution.
Historians believe Songze Culture evolved into Liangzhu Culture. The ancient people mastered paddy planting and used stone sickles. Wine brewing became popular.
In pottery making, Liangzhu black potteries were unique. Jade articles showed sophisticated craftsmanship. Linen, silk pieces, and silk ribbons were also found.
The zun unearthed from the Guangfulin Historical Site featured deer and battle axe patterns. These are the earliest pictures and pictographic characters in Songjiang.
In 1999, archaeologists discovered new cultural remains in the Taihu Lake region. These were linked to Liangzhu Culture. They also represented an independent ancient culture. These remains differed from other Neolithic sites.
In 2006, experts officially named these remains “Guangfulin Culture”. In 2008, the excavation was rated as a top discovery.
The Guangfulin Lake you see now hides these layers of history. It offers a unique insight into Shanghai’s ancient roots. It links us to the people who lived here thousands of years ago. Take a moment to appreciate the depth of history beneath your feet.