King of Cong was unearthed in the No 12 pit (in the front) of Fanshan Cemetary in Liangzhu city in 1986.[Photo by Wang Kaihao/China Daily]

For example, cong — the jade piece that forms a quadrangle tube with a circular inner section — is the most typical type of artifact being unearthed in Liangzhu. In 1986, the biggest known item of this kind which weighs 6.5 kilograms and is often dubbed the "King of Cong", was found in Fanshan Cemetery in the city ruins.

Walls of the ruins were found in 2007, and its surrounding water conservancy system was discovered in 2015. They combined to unveil a massive infrastructure base, construction of which archaeologists estimate took 4,000 people working for a decade to accomplish.

China now has 55 entries to the World Heritage list, the most in the world.