“From Earth to Blueprint: Archaeological Works in Fuyang,” a cultural exhibition for the public, opened at the temporary exhibition hall of Fuyang Museum with 214 artifacts (sets) and episodes concerning 14 archaeological sites. Like pieces of a puzzle, they systematically trace Fuyang’s cultural development from the Neolithic Age to the Ming and Qing dynasties, offering visitors a chance to talk to history and ancestors.

The exhibition is divided into three sections, each named “Echoes of Early Landscapes,” “Splendor of an Ancient County,” and “A Thousand Years of Cultural Continuity.” Stone and pottery tools unearthed from the Wayaoli site—keys to time that vividly reconstruct how Neolithic communities settled along waterways, instantly extending Fuyang’s historical narrative back 6,000 years. New discoveries from the Sizhou papermaking workshop site reveal multi-period cultural deposits in the area, filling critical gaps in our understanding of prehistoric to Eastern Zhou settlements. Meanwhile, archaeological findings from the Xindeng ancient city wall and Chengpu site unfold like weighty chronicles, comprehensively illustrating Fuyang’s urban evolution and social life from the Tang and Song dynasties through the Ming and Qing.

These treasures would not have seen the light of day without a low-profile yet highly capable team—Fuyang Station of Hangzhou Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. As pioneers of Hangzhou’s effort to embed archaeological expertise at the basic level, they were among the first in Zhejiang Province to put into practice the principle of “archaeology first, protection prioritized.” Since 2021, the station has led over 500 archaeological surveys and test excavations and carried out more than 30 full-scale excavations, rescuing and preserving countless underground relics alongside urban development—ensuring Fuyang’s millennia-old cultural lineage endures amid modern progress. “We use trowels as pens,” said one archaeologist, “translating the ‘heavenly script’ of soil strata into living data for urban planning.”

Guided by Fuyang District People’s Government and Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Gardens and Cultural Relics, and jointly organized by Fuyang District Bureau of Cultural Relics and Hangzhou Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, the exhibition, with Fuyang Museum as its host venue, is free to the public and will run through May 5. During this period, special programs such as the “Little Archaeologists” camp and open days at excavation sites will also be offered. Parents are encouraged to bring children to Fuyang Museum during the holiday to experience firsthand the charm of Fuyang’s civilization that started over a millennium ago.