Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King

Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King
西汉南越王博物馆

Address: 867 North Jiefang Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province
Website: www.gznywmuseum.org/ (Cn)
Hours: 9:00 - 17:30
Closed on Feb 28 and Aug 31
Tel: 020-36182920
Admission fee: 12 yuan

The Mausoleum of the Nanyue King in Guangzhou is the largest and most unique stone-chamber tomb from the Han Dynasty (206 BC- AD 220). Zhao Mo, the owner of the mausoleum, was the second king of the Nanyue Kingdom and ruled from 137 BC to 122 BC. The king was buried in Panyu (the capital city of the kingdom and known as a Guangzhou district today) after his death and his tomb was left alone for more than two thousand years.

The tomb was discovered in 1983 and the museum opened in 1988. It is nearly 11 meters long and over 12 meters wide and divided into seven parts. It contains a front chamber, east and west wing rooms, the main coffin chamber, east and west side rooms, and a rear chamber for storage. It has yielded more than 10,000 burial artifactsincluding a chariots, gold and silver vessels, musical instruments and human sacrifices.

As important historical relics of the Nanyue Kingdom, the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King and the burial artefacts are of great significance for research on the economic, political and cultural development of Guangzhou and the entire Lingnan region during the Qin (221-206 BC)and Han Dynasties.

The Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King was built on the site of the cemetery, with a total area of 17,400 square meters. It mainly displays the original site of the tomb and the archaeological finds from it. It was named a major national historical site in 1996 and is renowned for its rare assemblage of funerary artefacts representing the diffusion of cultures throughout the Lingnan region during the Han Dynasty.