The Erqi Yangtze River Bridge in Wuhan, Hubei Province Photo: IC PHOTO

The Yangtze River civilization is the collective term for the civilizations that arose in the Yangtze River Basin. Its origins can be traced back to the Late Paleolithic, but its systematic development began in the Early Neolithic, marked most prominently by the emergence of rice cultivation.

Domestication of rice and rise of an agricultural economy

Between roughly 15,000 and 12,000 years ago, at sites including Yuchanyan in Daoxian, Hunan Province, and Xianrendong and Diaotonghuan in Wannian, Jiangxi Province, archaeologists unearthed the world’s earliest known domesticated rice—along with phytoliths and carbonized grains. These findings demonstrate that the Yangtze River Basin was the first to domesticate rice, heralding the dawn of the agricultural revolution.

Around 11,000 years ago, at sites associated with the Shangshan Culture in Pujiang, Zhejiang Province, in the lower Yangtze, archaeologists discovered remains of early agricultural settlements, large quantities of carbonized cultivated rice, a complete set of rice production tools, and carbon-tempered pottery mixed with rice husks. This marked the region’s entry into the “early village” stage ahead of the rest of East Asia.

Between about 9,000 and 8,000 years ago, communities of the Pengtoushan Culture in Li County, Hunan Province cultivated rice extensively, as evidenced by large quantities of carbonized grains and the remains of moat-enclosed settlements unearthed at related sites. These findings indicate the initial formation of an early agricultural society with rice cultivation at its core.

By around 7,000 years ago, the Hemudu Culture in the lower Yangtze had developed advanced si-based [si is an ancient Chinese spade-like implement used for tilling soil] farming techniques, stilted architecture, and early lacquerware, further confirming the region’s independently evolved, deep-rooted, and technologically sophisticated civilization.

The dawn of the Yangtze River civilization in East Asia can be traced back some 10,000 years. Grounded in the revolutionary domestication of rice and the rise of an agricultural economy, it evolved over millennia to become a civilizational source that shone alongside the Yellow River Basin.

From regional flourishing to a unified diversity

Stretching from west to east with significant differences in elevation, vast basin coverage, and diverse climates, the Yangtze River Basin developed a wide variety of cultural customs.

In prehistoric times, the development of the Yangtze River civilization across the basin can be divided into two broad stages. The first was a period of flourishing regional civilizations, driven by the spread of rice farming, which spurred population growth and social complexity. In the middle Yangtze, the Daxi Culture produced China’s earliest known city—Chengtoushan—featuring both moats and ceremonial infrastructure, reflecting the emergence of social authority. In the lower Yangtze, the Hemudu and Majiabang cultures laid a deep civilizational foundation, while the later Lingjiatan Culture showcased exquisite jade craftsmanship, symbolizing the rise of theocratic concepts and social stratification.

The second stage featured the rise of city-states and the development of civilization. In the upper Yangtze, the Baodun Culture saw the beginnings of walled settlements, though systematic civilizational development came later. In the middle Yangtze, the Qujialing Culture produced early hydraulic works such as the Xiongjialing Dam, marking humanity’s great leap from adapting to nature to transforming it. Its eggshell-thin painted pottery cups reveal advanced ceramic techniques and distinctive aesthetic sensibilities. In the lower Yangtze, the Liangzhu Culture, centered on the ancient city of Mojiaoshan, constructed massive hydraulic works and altars. Its thriving jade culture—exemplified by jade cong and divine-human-animal mask motifs—marked the formation of an early state in East Asia and provides material proof of China’s 5,000-year-old civilization.

During the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties (roughly between 21st and 11th century BCE), the Yangtze River Basin entered a new stage driven by bronze technology. In the upper Yangtze, the Sanxingdui site exemplifies the ancient Shu civilization, whose exceptional bronze casting techniques marked the beginning of the basin’s bronze age. In the middle Yangtze, the Panlongcheng site served as both a military outpost and a resource hub for the Shang Dynasty, offering important evidence of early bronze civilization in the region.

After the Qin’s successful unification of China, the Yangtze River Basin, with its warm, humid climate and abundant mulberry and silkworm resources, became a major silk-producing region. In ceramics, Yue kilns in Zhejiang reached a high level of craftsmanship, producing fine-textured, elegantly shaped celadon widely traded across the country.

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the opening of the Grand Canal reduced travel time and costs between north and south. The Yangtze River Basin’s abundant products—grain, silk, tea, and more—were transported northward to supply the Central Plains, while advanced technologies and philosophies from the north flowed southward, injecting new vitality into the basin. Cities such as Yangzhou and Zhenjiang, located at the intersection of the canal and the Yangtze, became major commercial and cultural hubs. This period saw increasingly frequent economic and cultural exchanges between the Yangtze River Basin and the Central Plains, laying the foundation for the later southward shift of China’s economic center.

Liu Litang is Director of the Archaeological Institute for Yangtze Civilization at Wuhan University.