Wu-Yue Culture

Known also as Jiang-Zhe culture, Wu-Yue culture is a vital component of Han civilization and the regional culture of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and surrounding areas. Centered on the Taihu Lake Basin, it encompasses modern-day Shanghai, southern Jiangsu, Zhejiang, southern Anhui, and northeastern Jiangxi. This cultural sphere is further divided into "Wu Culture" and "Yue Culture," both originating from the same historical roots.Wu-Yue culture is distinguished by iconic symbols such as boat-and-oar traditions, agrarian practices, stamped hard pottery, earth-mound tombs, hanging coffins burials, and customs like valor, martial traditions, excessive sacrifices, and tattooing/hair cropping—all well-documented in pre-Qin classics. Evolving from the Hemudu and Liangzhu cultures over millennia, it has preserved its essence through shared challenges. Wu and Yue cultures, described as "sharing customs, lands, and cultural spirit," gradually merged into a unified cultural type through mutual influence, integration, and transformation.

While retaining local indigenous traditions, Wu-Yue culture also embodies core Chinese cultural heritage. The Wu dialect, renowned as "Wu Nong soft speech" for its melodious tones, exemplifies linguistic elegance. Cuisine features sweet and savory flavors, and the region has produced a disproportionate number of literati, poets, scientists, and scholars—accounting for two-fifths of ancient imperial examination top scholars and modern Chinese academicians. Since the Southern Song Dynasty, Wu-Yue culture has grown increasingly refined, with its people surpassing Central Plains elites in officialdom during the Song and Ming dynasties. The rise of modern industry and commerce later added luxurious habits to its character.

Today, digital and international platforms like Wuzhen Internet Conference and Hangzhou Asian Games are propelling Wu-Yue culture onto the global stage, blending tradition with innovation to shape its contemporary identity and influence worldwide.