Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King

Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King

The Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, and a patriotic education base.

The Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King is situated on Xianggang Hill, west of Yuexiu Mountain. It was constructed using the tomb of Zhao Mo, the second King of Nanyue, which was unearthed in Xianggang in 1983, and is the first ancient tomb museum in Guangdong Province. The museum is divided into three sections: the comprehensive exhibition building facing Jiefang North Road, which primarily showcases a collection of historical porcelain pillows donated by Hong Kong’s Mr. and Mrs. Yang Yongde, as well as hosting other temporary exhibitions; the tomb site of the Nanyue King, preserved in its original condition and open to the public; and the main exhibition building located to the west of the tomb chamber, displaying the precious artifacts unearthed from the Nanyue King’s tomb.

In June 1983, a large-scale ancient tomb of the Nanyue Kingdom was discovered on Xianggang Hill in Guangzhou. From August 25 to October 6 of the same year, with the approval of the State Council, a joint excavation team consisting of the Guangzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Management Committee, the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the Guangdong Provincial Museum excavated the tomb. Over a thousand precious artifacts were unearthed, including the "Seal of the Martial Emperor," a gold seal, confirming that the tomb belonged to Zhao Mo, the second King of Nanyue. After the excavation, the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government decided to preserve the tomb site on-site and establish the Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King there.

The establishment of the Nanyue King Museum received strong support from the National Cultural Relics Administration, which allocated special funds for the maintenance and protection of the tomb. Experts in cultural relics were also dispatched to discuss the museum’s construction and cultural heritage preservation. Leaders from Guangdong and Guangzhou provinces and municipalities also showed great concern and support for the museum project. In 1987 and 1990, the Guangzhou Municipal Government allocated nearly 50 million yuan to build the Nanyue King Museum on Xianggang Hill. The museum was designed by the renowned Chinese architect and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Mr. Mo Bozhi. The comprehensive exhibition building facing Jiefang North Road was completed and opened to the public in February 1988. The main exhibition hall was officially opened in February 1993. The Nanyue King Museum focuses on the protection of the ancient tomb, maintaining the historical purity and readability of the tomb. Following the principles of the Venice Charter for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage, there is a clear visual distinction between the ruins and new constructions, ensuring that the modern does not damage the ancient, nor does the fake obscure the real.

The entire exterior of the Nanyue King Museum is built with red sandstone, similar to the stone used for the tomb’s roof. The museum’s main entrance faces the bustling Jiefang North Road, surrounded by high-rise modern buildings. To highlight its unique form and style, and to showcase its distinctive character, two massive stone walls, each 12 meters high and 36 meters wide, were deliberately constructed from red sandstone. The stone walls feature three sets of architectural relief art patterns. The central relief depicts two 10-meter-tall Yue people, a woman on the left and a man on the right, wearing short sleeves, shorts, and barefoot. The two giants stand atop giant pythons, holding the heads of beasts, with graceful movements and confident, serene expressions, reflecting the fearless pioneering spirit of the Yue ancestors. Above the male snake-handling deity is a blazing sun and flames, symbolizing bravery and strength, while above the goddess is a crescent moon and stars, representing tranquility. Together, they suggest a balance of strength and gentleness. This relief pattern is inspired by the “snake-handling deity” on the bronze components of the lacquered wooden screen from the Nanyue King’s tomb, vividly highlighting the characteristics of Nanyue culture. Beside the giant figures are patterns of soaring dragons and flying tigers, derived from exquisite jade ornaments unearthed from the Nanyue King’s tomb. On either side of the main entrance steps are a pair of red sandstone-carved fierce tigers, leaping with intensity, also inspired by a gold-inlaid tiger tally from the tomb.

At the center of the museum stands a 13-meter-high blue glass curtain wall, in the middle of which hangs a 3-meter-diameter gilded dragon-and-phoenix emblem. This emblem is modeled after an exquisite jade pendant unearthed from the tomb—a double-ring pierced carving of dragons and phoenixes. The double rings divide the jade into inner and outer sections: the inner section features a coiling dragon, with its front and hind legs and tail extending into the outer section; the outer section shows a phoenix calling out, perched on the dragon’s extended front claw. The phoenix’s head faces the dragon’s, and the overall design of the pendant is novel, with balanced composition and exquisite carving. It is truly worthy of being chosen as the museum emblem and adds significant prestige to the Nanyue King Museum.

After reinforcing and waterproofing the Nanyue King’s tomb chamber on its original site, a dome-shaped glass canopy was installed over it. The surrounding courtyard of the tomb is enclosed by corridors built from red sandstone. Lush green lawns lie between the corridors and the tomb chamber. Against the backdrop of blue sky, white sunlight, and green grass, the metal-glass dome covering the tomb chamber is particularly eye-catching.

To the north of the tomb chamber is the main exhibition room, also built from red sandstone, topped with a pyramid-shaped red sandstone structure. The main exhibition room has two floors and cleverly utilizes the terrain of the hill, built along the slope and connected to the tomb corridor via steps. The use of red sandstone for the exterior blends the modern exhibition space with the ancient tomb, creating a distinct personality and style amidst the surrounding gray concrete jungle, achieving a strong artistic effect. As a result, the Nanyue King’s Tomb quickly became a popular tourist attraction in Guangzhou. Major Chinese leaders such as Li Peng visited, as did numerous foreign government dignitaries and guests. The museum has drawn enthusiastic responses from a vast number of visitors.

Currently, the collection of the Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King primarily consists of over a thousand sets of artifacts unearthed from the original Nanyue King’s tomb, along with more than two hundred ancient Chinese porcelain pillows donated by Mr. and Mrs. Yang Yongde, a well-known Hong Kong figure and honorary director of the museum. These artifacts form the foundation of the museum’s collection.

In addition to being displayed at the museum, treasures unearthed from the Nanyue King’s Tomb have also been invited to exhibitions both domestically and internationally, having toured regions and countries such as Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, and Germany. Some of the finest artifacts unearthed from the tomb have also been displayed at the Palace Museum and the National Museum of Chinese History in Beijing. Every year, the Nanyue King Museum in Guangzhou welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors. With its remarkable collection and distinctive architectural design, the Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King is increasingly attracting tourists from China and abroad.

Address: No. 867, Jiefang North Road

Further Reading:

· National First-Class Museum of China