The Remains of the Ancient Town of Liangzhu was excavated in 2007. The ancient town, covering an area of over 2.9 million square meters, was built about 5,000 years ago. The nobles dwelled in the central area while the local residents lived in outer areas. Liangzhu Culture existed roughly at the same time as the pre-dynastic period of ancient Egypt and its influence spread to the provinces of Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Anhui and even as far as the southern part of Shanxi Province.