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.