Home » City specials » Hangzhou

DURING the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), when China was comprised of seven kingdoms, what is now known as Hubei Province was part of Chu Kingdom’s territory. Although the kingdom’s culture was at first similar to neighboring kingdoms, Chu gradually formed a distinguished traditions and customs.

Since the 1950s, a group of ancient tombs from the Chu period have been discovered, especially in Jiangling, Jinmen, Zaoyang, Suizhou and Xiangyang counties. For archeologists, the tombs give insights into the once glorious Chu sovereign.

Now, an ongoing exhibition in Liangzhu Museum displays 190 jade artifacts and 125 bronze antiques excavated from the noted Jiuliandun Tomb from Zaoyang County, Hubei Province, through March 18.

To date, Jiuliandun is the biggest and most splendid Chu-style ancient tomb found. It symbolizes Chu’s rich burial customs and is typical of ancient Chu couple’s joint tomb.

Archeological started digging in 2002, and discovered the first grave, aptly titled No. 1, for a Chu male, while the second, No. 2, was the last resting ground of a woman. Researchers believe that the two were a middle-aged couple who enjoyed unparalleled social status.

The tomb stretched for 3 kilometers and consisted of nine burial pits, including a grave for horses and chariots that is considered the largest ancient chariot-horse pit ever discovered in China.

These chariots retained their original appearance and even the colors of their lacquered patterns. Unlike other ancient graves that used artificial horse models as burial objects, this tomb featured real horses. The bones are still intact.

In addition, an excavated bronze vessel from the tomb is considered the biggest ever found in the country. Uncommon large-scale sets of wooden ancient musical instruments were also unearthed, along with more than 1,000 pieces of inscribed bamboo slips.

Thousands of antiques dug from Jiuliandun, covering ritual, military, life and burial aspects, also helped shine a new light on the Chu Kingdom.

Nonetheless, archeologists are still puzzled over the people who were buried in this grand tomb. Although the existence of the tomb was noted in documents, the names of the woman and men buried in it are not mentioned.

According to a local legend, the tomb was made for an upright court official, who was executed after high-ranking officials conspired against him. They even vented their hatred by crashing the official’s head.

Eventually, the king realized that he had ordered the execution based on false testimony, and, as a way of making up for his mistake, he ordered craftsmen to make a golden head and to dig a total of nine graves to confuse potential tomb robbers.

However, the discovered antiques proved that the legend was, in fact, just a legend.

Archeologists today believe that the tomb may have belonged to Tang Mei, a statesman from the Chu Kingdom.

During the late Chu Kingdom, when other kingdoms formed ties to invade Chu, Tang fought the enemies and was finally killed in what is today’s Henan Province. Afterward, Chu was split into several parts and eventually ceased to exist.

Though the tomb’s owner still remains unknown, its antiques and artifacts have already been displayed around the country. For the current exhibition, Liangzhu Museum is cooperating with Chinese Jade Culture Center to hold the exhibition, mainly to showcase the exquisite jade wares excavated from Jiuliandun.

Like ancient Liangzhu culture, which considered jade as a mysterious material that could connect human beings with gods, Chu culture also endowed jade with ritual, sovereign and immortal significance.

The displayed jade ware from Chu Kingdom features sophisticated patterns and symmetric shapes. At the time, such jade handicrafts symbolized high social status.

Date: Through March 18 (closed on Mondays

Address: 1 Meilizhou Rd, Liangzhu Town, Yuhang District

Tel: (0571) 8877-8900