Mawangdui Han Tombs

Overview

Mawangdui Han Tombs is located in the eastern suburb of Changsha,Hunan Province.In 1972,the archaeologist dig out 3,000 more pieces of porcelain cultural relic in Mawangdui Han Tomb including the well preserved corpse,bamboo slips,brocade paitings etc.These cultural relics have brought cause to the attention of the world.

Know more

Mawangdui is a large-scale tombs which height of about 10 meters, 30 meters in diameter.It is the best place to know about the glorious Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 24). The cultural relic unearthed in Mawangdui could date back 2,000 years.All three tombs were excavated between 1972 and 1974. According to the archeological research that this place was a family graveyard two thousand years ago; No. 1 and No. 3 tombs are in excellent condition, and the No. 1 tomb is the largest among the three.

Over 3,000 relics have been unearthed from the tombs like silk products, silk books, silk paintings, lacquer works, potteries, bamboo slips used for writing, weapons, herbs and so on. Of which the lacquer works occupy the largest number, including ancient cooking vessels, boxes, kettles, plates and folding screens. Red or black colors were painted on them. Most of the potteries contain food. One of the most outstanding representatives is a silk coat which is as light as the mist and as fine as gossamer. It is 1.28 m in length with a pair of long sleeves, but weighs only 49 grams! The coffin excavated from No. 1 tomb is decorated with the odd images of animals and gods on its lacquered surface and has high artistic value.

A visit to this Mawangdui Exhibition Hall will allow the visitor to understand an aristocrat's life at the time of the western Han dynasty. Not only can one see the actual artifacts, but one can begin to understand the politics, economics, cultural and scientific technologies of the time. It is as though one were reading an encyclopedia on the Western Han period.

Must see

The well preserved corpse of the tomb owner

This female corpse was well preserved in red preservative liquid could date back 2100 years.Though it has existed for a long time,her still had hair, its joints were limber and the soft organs were still soft.

Gauze Robe

Ancient Chinese describe silk fabrics as 'thin as dragonfly wings, light as fog' and two pieces excavated from #1 tomb, one weighing 48 grams, the other 49 grams, live up to that description.