When the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu city were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site on Saturday, the park ruins of the ancient city near Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, were finally opened to the public.

The opening came after archaeologists had toiled for decades to unveil a glimpse of ancient Chinese civilization, enlightened by the brilliance of jade.

Jiang Weidong, deputy director of the Administration of Liangzhu Archaeological Site, still has concerns about the move, though.

"There is a whole universe underground in Liangzhu," he said. "However, it can barely be seen above the ground. We've been trying to come up with ideas on how to reflect its value to tourists."

He said that unlike contemporaneous ancient city ruins in Europe or West Asia made from stone, ancient Chinese cities were constructed from earth, which was easily eroded over time. That is why these cities may look less impressive today to the general visitor.

"We want to present the public with the big picture showing what the city's social structure was like," Jiang said. "The layout of the city and its terraces have now become clear due to our cleanup campaign."

The Liangzhu Museum reopened to the public after its display area was redesigned. Exhibition halls showcasing particular archaeological sites were also set up throughout the park.

"The achievements of archaeological research need to be better told to the public in a good way," Jiang said. "People are thirsty for knowledge about Liangzhu, and our current methods of working may still appear to be 'academic'. More display channels, such as digital exhibitions, are on the way."