The Wuwangdun tomb No. 1 is the mausoleum of Xiong Yuan, King Kaolie of the Chu state. It is the largest and highest-ranking royal tomb of the Chu state with the most complex structure discovered to date through scientific excavation. From 2020 to 2024, systematic and comprehensive excavations led to the discovery of over 10,000 treasures that reflect the Chu material culture in late Warring States period, providing crucial evidence for research into the royal burial systems, cemetery layouts and burial customs of the Chu state, as well as of the Western Zhou to the Western Han dynasty, from 1100 BCE to 8 CE.
This exhibition selects over 200 artifacts from the unearthed objects of the Wuwangdun tomb No. 1. It unfolds in four sections: "Archaeological Work at Wuwangdun," "Revealing the Tomb Occupant's Identity," "Treasures from the Ancient Chu state" and "A Legacy that Shaped Ancient China". The highlights include a set of bronze ritual food containers with nine ding (food container) and eight gui (food container), a complete set of bronze bianzhong (chime bells) and stone qing (percussion instrument), exquisite jade bi (disc) and jade huang (semicircle), as well as a lacquered table painted with dragons and phoenixes. They systematically showcase the scientific process of archaeological excavation, the ritual significance of high-ranking Chu tombs, the splendid achievements of Chu material culture and the cultural interactions during the Warring States period, thereby unveiling the rich historical information encapsulated within Wuwangdun tomb No. 1.
It is sincerely hoped the exhibition could provide an immersive archaeological journey for a deeper understanding of the unique role and significance of the Chu culture in the formation of Chinese civilization—a civilization characterized by unity in diversity—and experience the distinct character, style and spirit of Chinese archaeology.
The exhibition is on view in Galleries N1 and N2 of the NMC and will remain open to the public for four months.