On October 18, the Third China Archaeological Congress released the Top 100 Archaeological Discoveries of the Century, among which are the Archaeological Site of Nanyue Kingdom Palace, the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King and the Nanhai I Shipwreck.

The Archaeological Site of Nanyue Kingdom Palace (Photo provided to Newsgd.com)

The Archaeological Site of Nanyue Kingdom Palace

The Archaeological Site of Nanyue Kingdom Palace serves as the essence of Guangzhou as a cultural city with a long history. Located amid the old downtown, the exhibition area is a testament to Guangzhou's role as the political, economic and cultural center of the Lingnan region, and it also witnesses the formation, development and prosperity of the Maritime Silk Road.

The Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King (Photo provided to Newsgd.com)

The Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King

The Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King is the largest and most unique stone-chamber tomb from the Han Dynasty. Zhao Mo, the possessor of the mausoleum, was the second king of the Nanyue Kingdom and ruled from 137 BC to 122 BC. It has yielded more than 10,000 burial artifacts with a wide range including gold and silver vessels, bronze ware, ironware, jade ware, pottery, colored glaze and silk fabrics. Its silver box, golden flower ornament, frankincense and ivory is also a testimony to the cultural exchanges between China and overseas at that time.

Guangzhou is one of the first of 24 state-listed famous historical and cultural cities in China, with a history of over 2,200 years. Found in 203 BC, the Nanyue Kingdom is the first complete feudal regime in the Lingnan region. Its overseas contacts helped to lay the foundation for the formation and development of the Maritime Silk Road.

The Maritime Silk Road Museum of Guangdong which houses the Nanhai I Shipwreck. (Photo: Zhang Youqiong)

Nanhai I Shipwreck

The Nanhai I Shipwreck produced in Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) was discovered in 1987 with a batch of exquisite culture relics. It is so far an earlier, larger and more well-preserved ancient merchant ship discovered in China. At present, over 180,000 pieces of cultural relics have been unearthed from the shipwreck. Nanhai I contains extremely rich history information which reveals the prosperous overseas trading system of the Southern Song Dynasty. It's crucial for the study on the history of shipbuilding, ceramic, navigation, trade of ancient China and even East Asia, Southeast Asia. Moreover, it also offers solid evidence for the thousand-years inheritance of Maritime Silk Road as well as the business and culture exchange between China and countries along the Road.

The archaeological site of the Nanhai I Shipwreck (Photo: Wang Liangyu)

With the development of underwater archaeology for over thirty years in China, the project of integral salvage, excavation and conservation of Nanhai I is the epitome of a rapid development of China's underwater archaeology, and it can be regarded as a paradigm of conserving the underwater cultural heritage in the world.

How to visit these archaeological sites:

1. Archaeological Site of Nanyue Kingdom Palace:

Ticket price: Free

Opening hours: 9:00-17:00, closed on Mondays

Add.: No.316, Zhongshan 4th Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou (广州市越秀区中山四路316号)

Nearest metro station: Take Metro Line 1 and get off at the Peasant Movement Institute Station (农讲所站), use Exit D

2. Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King:

Ticket price: 10 RMB per person, half price for students and people aged over 60

Opening hours: 9:00-17:30, closed on Mondays, and ticket office closed at 17:00

Add.: No.867, Jiefang North Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou (广州市越秀区解放北路867号)

Nearest metro station: Take Metro Line 2 and get off at Yuexiu Park Station (越秀公园站), use Exit E

3. Nanhai I Shipwreck:

Opening hours: 9:00-17:30 (stop selling tickets at 17:00)

Ticket price: 70 RMB per person

Location: Maritime Silk Road Museum of Guangdong, Nanhai I Road West, Hailing Island, Yangjiang, Guangdong (广东省阳江市海陵岛试验区十里银滩 广东海上丝绸之路博物馆)

Related news: The Nanyue King Museum opened officially

Gateways to explore Guangzhou's history of over 2000 years

Author | Nancy (intern)

Editor | Monica & Jerry