On 17 September 2026, as a special event of the 2026 "Reviving Craft - Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Design" exhibition ("Reviving Craft"), "Liangzhu Jade: A Letter from the East — A Sino-British Civilisational Dialogue" was held at Somerset House in London, United Kingdom. The event was guided by the Information Office of the People's Government of Zhejiang Province, jointly hosted by the Liangzhu Museum (Liangzhu Research Institute), Zhejiang Radio and Television Group and Sun Media Group, and organised by the Liangzhu Cultural Protection & Research Foundation and Zhejiang Television's ZTV. Archaeologists and cultural heritage experts from China and the UK, together with representatives from heritage protection institutions, museums, academic research bodies and the media, gathered around Liangzhu's five-thousand-year civilisation for a profound dialogue between Eastern and Western civilisations across time and space. The event was hosted by veteran media figure YANG Lan, Chairperson of Sun Media Group.
The event unfolded across four progressive chapters: Dispatch, Unseal, Absorb and Echo. In his opening remarks, XU Tianjin, Director of the Liangzhu Museum (Liangzhu Research Institute), noted that Liangzhu Ancient City, with its grand urban planning, sophisticated water management system, stratified social structure and distinctive system of jade ritual objects, testifies to the remarkable achievements of early East Asian civilisation five thousand years ago. He expressed hope that this London dialogue would serve as an opportunity to bring Liangzhu culture onto the world stage, forging a deeper connection between this ancient civilisation and contemporary international perspectives.
LI Liyan, Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, remarked in his address that both China and the UK possess profound and enduring civilisational heritage, and that this dialogue represents a vivid example of people-to-people cultural exchange between the two countries, which will continue to strengthen the foundations of friendship between their peoples and broaden the scope and depth of cultural cooperation.
During the Roundtable Dialogue, centred on the three themes of Jade Craft, Rice Agriculture and Aesthetics, Chinese and international experts drew on their respective fields of specialisation to explore the depths of Liangzhu civilisation and jointly examine the developmental paths and shared values of early human civilisations.
Xu Tianjin focused on the overall characteristics and contemporary value of Liangzhu civilisation, interpreting the core essence of Liangzhu aesthetics. He proposed that Liangzhu's simple, elegant and orderly aesthetic system could offer Eastern inspiration for contemporary design worldwide, enabling the innovative transformation of traditional culture.
Dame Jessica Rawson, Fellow of the British Academy and Professor at the University of Oxford, observed that Liangzhu jade artefacts represent a vital source of Chinese jade culture, demonstrating that the tradition of "jade as ritual" had already taken shape well before the Bronze Age, and that its understanding of material and symmetry carries a modernity that transcends its era.
Professor Dorian Fuller, of the UCL Institute of Archaeology, pointed out that rice agriculture formed the core foundation for the survival and development of Liangzhu civilisation, noting that its mature agricultural system gave rise to settlements, ritual systems and social stratification, shaping the civilisation's distinctive character.
Yijie Zhuang, Professor of Chinese Archaeology and Geoarchaeology at the UCL Institute of Archaeology, stated that Liangzhu confirms the extraordinary wisdom shown by early inhabitants in land and water management and resource use, which also formed an important foundation for the civilisation's long-term prosperity.
During the Echo segment, the Liangzhu Culture Global Youth Communication Programme was launched. Xu Tianjin, Director of the Liangzhu Museum (Liangzhu Research Institute), presented letters of appointment to Professors Jessica Rawson, Dorian Fuller and Yijie Zhuang, inviting them to serve as mentors for the programme and to guide young scholars in China and the UK in the research and communication of Liangzhu culture.
Finally, the four dialogue guests each wrote a personal message about Liangzhu civilisation or Sino-British cultural exchange on their exclusive Jade Bird Reply Cards. This exchange offered a mutual gesture of civilisational goodwill, allowing Eastern and Western cultures to gently echo and resonate with one another.
A dedicated Liangzhu culture exhibition area was set up at the venue, featuring interactive activities such as jade polishing, paper cutting and scratch art. Through these hands-on experiences, visitors could engage directly with the texture of a 5,000-year-old civilisation, completing a dialogue between civilisations across time and space.
From Liangzhu jade artefacts, bearers of ritual and divine significance, to the rice agriculture that nurtured the roots of civilisation; from simple and elegant Eastern aesthetic imagery to the enduring cultural genes of Chinese civilisation, the event combined rich academic dialogue with engaging cultural experiences to give international audiences a more direct understanding of the profound heritage of more than 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation.
In recent years, Liangzhu has consistently explored new pathways for bringing its civilisation to international audiences with an open and outward-looking approach. Through platforms including academic dialogues, thematic presentations and touring exhibitions around the world, it has continued to strengthen engagement and connection among overseas audiences, fostering mutual understanding between civilisations and closer ties between peoples. The Liangzhu Jade: A Letter from the East — A Sino-British Civilisational Dialogue was yet another vivid example of Liangzhu culture reaching out to the world and promoting mutual learning between civilisations.
