Ancient Shu Boat Coffin Burial Site in Chengdu

Ancient Shu Boat Coffin Burial Site in Chengdu

The Ancient Shu Boat Coffin Burial Site in Chengdu is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The site of the ancient Shu boat coffin burial is located at No. 58, Commercial Street, Commercial Street Community, Shaocheng Subdistrict, Qingyang District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, approximately 50 meters north of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee. It was discovered in July 2000 during the construction of a cafeteria for the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee. The Chengdu Municipal Archaeological Team carried out the cleaning and excavation, and in 2001, it was designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. A protected area and construction control zone were defined, a marker stele was erected, a dedicated protection agency was established, and the Chengdu Boat Coffin Museum was assigned to manage its preservation. The burial site covers an area of about 789 square meters and is a large rectangular earthen pit vertical shaft multi-coffin tomb. The tomb can be divided into two parts: the burial pit and the surface structures. The pit is 30.5 meters long and 20.3 meters wide, with straight walls and a flat bottom, oriented 240 degrees. The pit bottom is lined with sleepers arranged neatly, upon which 17 coffins—including boat coffins and box-shaped coffins—of varying sizes are placed in alignment with the pit orientation. Among these, there are three large boat coffins, each over 10 meters in length and up to 1.7 meters in maximum diameter, all carved from whole nanmu (phoebe nanmu) wood. The surface structure measures 38.5 meters in length and 20.5 meters in width, and can be divided into front and rear sections. The front section includes remnants of foundation trenches and wooden components around the pit, such as hollow column bases and strip-shaped ground sills, believed to have been used for ritual purposes. A large number of exquisitely crafted lacquerware items were unearthed from the tomb, featuring vibrant decorative patterns, representing fine examples of Warring States period lacquerware from Sichuan. Other artifacts include pottery jars, dou (food vessels), pointed-bottom cups, cauldrons, as well as bronze tools and bronze seals. Based on the scale of the tomb and the quality of the unearthed relics, it is inferred that this was the family burial site of the royal clan of the ancient Shu Kingdom’s Kaiming Dynasty or even the royal family of the Shu kings themselves during the early Warring States period. This tomb is the first large-scale Warring States period burial site discovered in the urban center of Chengdu, specifically within the ancient Shaocheng area. Its unique structure, orderly layout, and exquisite artifacts provide important physical evidence for the study of the history, culture, and funeral customs of ancient Ba and Shu.

Protected Area: The current preserved site area.

Construction Control Zone: An area extending 20 meters beyond the protected area.

Commercial Street Community: Overview of the Commercial Street Neighborhood Committee

The Shìxī Commercial Street Neighborhood Committee was established in 2001, formed from the former three sections: Shìxī Sections 9, 11, and 12. It consists of five lanes and one road: Xiangshi Road, Luhua Lane, Hongdou Lane, Ruyi Lane, Guixiang Lane, and Qionghua Lane. Located in the center of Shìxī Commercial Street, it is known as the “dry port commercial city” and is one of the province’s major wholesale markets for general merchandise.

The area covers 4,000 square meters. Current resident households: 2,123; population: 4,442, including 1,079 permanent households with 2,643 people, and 10... Detailed information about the Commercial Street Community++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units