Going to Guangzhou to visit the museum

📍Museum of the Nanyue King (Royal Tomb Exhibition Area)

The tomb 🪦 of Zhao Mo (Emperor Wen), the second king of the Nanyue Kingdom. Such a small tomb actually contained over a thousand sets of unearthed artifacts, along with 15 sacrificial victims, reflecting the unique burial culture of Nanyue, "treating death as life," meaning they wanted to bring their life before death into the afterlife.

The tour guide 👦🏻 said that the second king’s tomb already had so many treasures, so you can imagine how extravagant the first king’s tomb must be, but it still hasn’t been found to this day. The first king was Zhao Tuo (Emperor Wu), who reigned for 67 years and lived to over 100 years old. He lived so long that his son couldn’t wait for him to die to succeed the throne, so the second emperor was actually his grandson.

The two most impressive artifacts in the entire exhibition 💭 are: first, a set of jade pendants, made by stringing together multiple jade pieces, used to regulate etiquette and signify status. That means wearing two strings of jade under both armpits, and to avoid making a humming sound while walking, you have to walk slowly and gracefully.

The second is "Five Stone Powder," an ancient emperor’s believed elixir of immortality. The exhibit says that taking the right amount can clear heat and detoxify, but long-term use or excessive intake can cause poisoning. Maybe it really worked, which is why Emperor Wu could live to be over 100. But can stones 🪨 and crystals really be eaten? 🤔

*The Royal Tomb Exhibition Area is more interesting than the Royal Palace Exhibition Area

Post by BonnieTrip.hk | Aug 13, 2025