Nanyue King's Tomb Museum
Nanyue King's Tomb Museum in Guanzhou, China
Nanyu King's Tomb Museum Slideshow
Nanyu King's Tomb Museum Photo Gallery (Downloadable Pictures)
Located on Jiefang Bei Road, Guangzhou, the Western Han
Dynasty Nanyue King Mausoleum Museum is the oldest and
largest Han tomb with the most funerary objects in Lingnan
(South of the Nanling Mountain) Area. As one of the 80
famous museums in the world, the museum covers 14,000 square
meters (150, 699.6 square feet) with 10 exhibition halls.
The owner of the tomb is the second king, Zhao Mei of Nanyue
State of the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-24 A.D.). Hidden
20 meters (65.6 feet) underground, the tomb is made up of
750 huge stones with colorful murals. The over 1,000 pieces
of cultural relics, bronze ware and terra cotta ware in
particular, feature the Yue Culture of south China(Nanyue
Culture). Represented also are traces of central Chinese
culture, the Chu culture of south China, the Bashu culture
of southwest China, the Hun culture from the northern
grassland, and even foreign cultures.
Highlighting the mausoleum is a silk-jade garment made up of
2,291 pieces of jade. Though jade garments with pieces
connected by gold, silver, or copper are not uncommon, this
garment with jade pieces connected by silk is the only one
of its kind in the world. Nor are historical records
available to verify other jade garments connected by silk
thread. In addition, the style of buttons down the front is
unique among unearthed jade garments. This silk-sewn-jade
garment shows the early development of jade garments as well
as development of the Nanyue culture.
In addition, three sets of bronze serial bells, thirty-six
bronze vessels, thirty-six bronze mirrors, and three gold
seals give visitors a glimpse of the ancient Nanyue Culture.
The oldest and largest folding screen used in China is also
here, as are two of the world's oldest bronze patterns for
textile stamping.
Foreign articles excavated in the mausoleum indicate that
Guangzhou was an ancient Marine Silk Road starting point.
For example, there are five African elephant trunks, a
silver box featuring Western Asian silver wares, and bronze
incense burners and frankincense from Southeast Asia.
(ChinaTravelGuide.com)
