The Hemudu archaeological site, about forty kilometres west of Ningbo in Yuyao, is one of the most important Neolithic sites in China, preserving evidence of a rice-cultivating civilisation that flourished here seven thousand years ago. The site was discovered in 1973 during canal construction and has yielded extraordinary finds: carbonised rice grains, wooden pile-dwelling structures, pottery with unique geometric patterns, and organic materials that rarely survive in other climates.
The museum at the site presents the finds in a purpose-built building constructed over part of the excavation zone, so visitors can see the preserved wooden posts of the pile dwellings in situ. The displays include excellent reconstructions of Hemudu life alongside the actual artefacts, and the sheer age of the civilisation documented here — predating the Yellow River cultures often cited as the cradle of Chinese civilisation — is striking. Getting there requires about ninety minutes by bus from central Ningbo, but the journey is manageable as a half-day trip.