The Han Dynasty Royal Tombs of Lu'an

The Han Dynasty Royal Tombs of Lu'an

The Han Dynasty Royal Tombs of Lu'an are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Era: Western Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty Royal Tombs of Lu'an are located in Sanshipu Town, Jin'an District, Lu'an City, Anhui Province, covering an area of 15 square kilometers. The site includes 36 ancient tombs in total, comprising four pairs of eight large burial mounds—Shuangdun, Madadun, Sanxingdun, and Gaodadun—as well as other ancient tombs.

From March 2006 to January 2007, in coordination with a national key project and with the approval of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the Anhui Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the Lu'an Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics jointly conducted a rescue excavation of the Shuangdun No. 1 Han Tomb. They unearthed over 500 well-preserved precious cultural relics, including intact "Huangchang Titou" funerary structures, lacquered woodenware, gold and silver foil, agate, bronze ware, and chariot and horse fittings, as well as various crop seeds.

Research confirmed that the tomb's occupant was Liu Qing, the first king of the Han Dynasty's Lu'an Kingdom during the Western Han period. This project was honored as one of the "Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries of 2006 in China" and received high attention from national, provincial, and municipal leaders. Following scientific surveys of the area by provincial and municipal cultural relics authorities, it was determined to be the royal tomb burial area of the Lu'an Kingdom of the Western Han Dynasty.

The unearthed artifacts from this tomb and the discovery of the Lu'an Kingdom royal tomb area hold significant scientific value for the study of the royal tomb system of the Western Han feudal kings, as well as the politics, economy, and culture of the Han Dynasty. They showcase the rich material and spiritual culture of the Han era and fill in historical gaps regarding the Lu'an Kingdom during the Han Dynasty.

In May 2013, it was included in the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Protected Area: The boundary is set 200 meters outward from the base edges of each of the four pairs of north-south aligned, twin burial mounds (commonly known as the "Eight Great Mounds") located within the key protected zone of the royal tombs.

Construction Control Zone: Beyond the protected area, it extends north to the southern bank of the Pihe Main Canal, east to 250 meters east of Gaodadun, south to the Ningxi Railway, and west to 400 meters west of Madadun.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units