Site of King's Tomb, Nanyue King Museum, Royal mausoleum in Yuexiu District, China
The Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King is built over the tomb of Zhao Mo, who ruled from 137 to 122 BC. The tomb lies 20 metres below Xianggang Shan (Elephant Hill) and is divided into seven parts: a front chamber, east and west wing rooms, the main coffin chamber, east and west side rooms and a back storage chamber. It measures nearly 11 metres long and over 12 metres wide, cut from about 750 large stones, and is among the few early Western Han tombs with murals on its walls.
The tomb dates to around the 2nd century BCE and was constructed as a royal burial ground during ancient times. The site lay buried about 20 meters (66 feet) underground until it was accidentally discovered during construction work in 1983.
The museum displays objects from daily life in the Nanyue kingdom, including bronze items, pottery, and tools that show how people worked and lived. These objects tell stories of the crafts and prosperity of that era.
The museum stands at 867 Jiefang North Road in Yuexiu District, reached by Metro Line 2 to Yuexiu Park, Exit E, or by buses 7, 29, 33, 203, 211, 273, 543 and 552. Inside, the route runs from the main exhibition hall down into the tomb chamber and on to the north hall. The tomb lies 20 m underground and is entered through a passage into the front chamber.
The tomb's jade burial suit is sewn with silk thread, joining 2,291 jade pieces; jade suits laced with gold, silver or copper wire are known elsewhere, but no other silk-threaded example survives, and no historical record confirms one. Its front-opening buttoned style is also unmatched among excavated jade suits.
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