Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King

Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King

The Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King is located on Zhongshan 4th Road, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, covering a protected area of approximately 53,000 square meters. It is the only large-scale heritage site in Guangdong Province included in the national key protection projects during the 11th Five-Year Plan period.

The site was listed as part of the fourth batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level by the State Council in 1996. In December 2006, it was included in China's Tentative List for World Cultural Heritage.

In September 2018, the Chinese Museums Association officially approved the Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King as a National Second-Class Museum.

The site has been selected twice as one of China's Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries. Experts from the National Cultural Heritage Administration pointed out that this is the earliest example of a Chinese imperial garden discovered to date, holding significant value for the study of Chinese history and culture, ancient Chinese cities (especially ancient Guangzhou), ancient architectural history, and ancient craft history. It represents the essence of Guangzhou as a historic and cultural city. The site has been designated as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level by the State Council. Currently, archaeological excavations continue, along with research and the presentation of phased archaeological findings, as well as the formulation of plans for protection and utilization. The goal is to develop it into a large-scale heritage museum.

The main building for site protection allows visitors to see on-site artifact excavations. First is the Quiliu Stone Channel Site Protection Building, where visitors can view the ruins of the royal garden from two thousand years ago during the Nanyue Kingdom. After ascending to ground level (the second floor), you will admire the fully restored appearance of the entire garden. After viewing the No. 1 Palace of the Nanyue Kingdom, visitors will turn left, passing by the simulated excavation site of the No. 2 Palace of the Nanyue Kingdom, where they can observe archaeologists conducting on-site excavations and cleaning of artifacts.

Pottery displayed in the exhibition hall: The pottery, freshly unearthed, begins to show a slight sheen under the careful and repeated polishing by archaeologists. These pieces exude an air of antiquity from the inside out, reflecting the wisdom of ancient people.

The Southern Brick Well showcases the culture of wells in Guangzhou. Upon exiting, visitors will walk along the corridor of the palace from the Southern Han Dynasty a thousand years ago, entering the main exhibition area of the museum. Along the way, there is a structure called the "Southern Brick Well," which features a dedicated exhibition on Guangzhou’s well culture titled “Thinking of the Source When Drinking Water.”

Exhibition Building: A wealth of treasures lies within this “exhibition building behind,” which mainly displays three major sections — “Entering the Palace of the Nanyue King,” “Stepping into the Palace of the Southern Han’s Xingwang,” and “Guangzhou: A Famous City for Two Thousand Years.” According to the introduction, each exhibition uses sound, light, electricity, and other forms, combined with a large number of cultural relics and images, to deepen visitors’ intuitive understanding of the site. For example, in the “Entering the Palace of the Nanyue King” exhibition, artifacts such as “Long Live” roof tiles and “Fan” character pool walls made of brick, tile, wood, and stone are displayed.

In 1996, the ruins of the Nanyue Kingdom’s palace complex were designated as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level by the State Council, and in 2012, it was included in China’s Tentative List for World Cultural Heritage. It represents the essence of Guangzhou as a historic and cultural city.

Further Reading:

· National Second-Class Museum of China