A photo taken on December 25, 2023 shows a visitor looking at the unearthed artifacts on display at the Museum of Nanyue King Mausoleum in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. (Photo by Wang Weixuan/Guangzhou Daily)

An exhibition commemorating the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King opened to the public on December 25 in Guangzhou, the capital of south China's Guangdong Province.

A photo taken on December 25, 2023 shows an unearthed artifact on display at the Museum of Nanyue King Mausoleum in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. (Photo by Wang Weixuan/Guangzhou Daily)

Discovered in 1983 in Guangzhou, the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King is the burial site of Zhao Mo, the second ruler of the Nanyue Kingdom, an authority in the Lingnan region of southern China during the Qin (221-207 BC) and Han (202 BC-220 AD) dynasties.

The Museum of Nanyue King Mausoleum (Photo by Wang Weixuan/Guangzhou Daily)

The tomb was found to be well-preserved and untouched by looters when it was discovered. Over 1,000 precious artifacts were unearthed from the site, making it the largest, best-preserved, and most opulent Han Dynasty painted stone burial chamber discovered in the Lingnan region. It also reveals important insights into the political, economic and cultural development of the Nanyue Kingdom.

It represents a milestone in Han Dynasty archaeology in the Lingnan region, serving as a treasure trove in the study of Lingnan culture during the Qin and Han periods, as well as the cultural exchange and integration of various ethnicities in China and around the world.

The exhibition showcases unearthed artifacts, documentary evidence, and a range of tools that provide a comprehensive and multi-dimensional presentation of the 40 years since the discovery of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King.

The exhibition at the Museum of Nanyue King Mausoleum will run until February 25, 2024.

Sources: CGTN, Guangzhou Daily
Editor: Lyu Yun