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The Tashan Hechangfang site is selected as one of China's top 10 archaeological news stories of 2025. [Photo/Tide News]

The first discovery of high-level sacrificial remains of the Yue State (the Tashan Hechangfang site) in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province was recently selected as one of China's top 10 archaeological news stories of 2025. This follows the inclusion of the Jizhong site in the 2024 list, marking another national-level recognition for Shaoxing's archaeological achievements and highlighting the city's progress in this field.

As the first prefecture-level city in Zhejiang province to possess archaeological excavation qualifications, Shaoxing has made significant breakthroughs in recent years. The Tashan Hechangfang site not only clarifies the central axis layout of the Baolin Temple architectural foundations from the Six Dynasties (222-589) to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) but also reveals, for the first time, large-scale Yue State sacrificial trenches and building platforms. Of particular importance is the first discovery of Majiabang cultural remains of the Neolithic Age within the city area, pushing back the history of human settlement in Shaoxing to 6,000 years ago and extending the cultural lineage of the city.

The Jizhong site, selected last year as a major project under the national "Archaeology China" initiative, has confirmed for the first time the existence of large-scale architecture from the Yue State period within Shaoxing's ancient city. Since archaeological work began in 2024, nearly 100 important features have been uncovered at the site, including large building foundations, wells, and horse pits, along with over 1,500 significant artifacts.

At an expert review meeting held on Oct 20, scholars unanimously agreed that the discoveries at the Jizhong and Tashan Hechangfang sites present a complete picture of Shaoxing's uninterrupted 2,500-year urban development and functional evolution. These findings provide valuable resources for exploring the origin, layout, and transformation of ancient Chinese cities, particularly those in the water-rich regions of southern China.