This lecture examines China’s Liangzhu UNESCO World Heritage Site (2019) through three perspectives.  Historically, Liangzhu (c. 3300-2300 BCE) challenges traditional criteria for civilisation by demonstrating a complex society without a full writing system.  It demonstrates that Chinese civilisation extends back 5,000 years and reveals a multi-centric origin beyond the Yellow River, from its Yangtze River location.  Geographically, the “Liangzhu Ancient Kingdom” extend political, economic, and religious influences over the Lake Taihu region, with its core at Liangzhu Ancient City.  This integrated realm is evidenced by shared beliefs, technologies, and transport networks.  In planning and design, the ancient city’s layout shows conscious urban planning that influenced later Chinese capitals.  Its “living alongside rivers” residential concept persisted in the lower Yangtze region, and its iconic jade tubes profoundly impacted the artistic design of contemporaneous civilisations.