Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King Tours and Activities

See the fascinating tomb of an ancient king at this modern and well-organised museum.

A visit to this museum is a must for anyone with an interest in China's ancient history. The museum was built on the hill where the 2000 year old tomb of Zhao Mo was unearthed. He was the second king of the Nanyue, a short-lived kingdom made up of parts of southern China and Vietnam. He reigned from 137 BC – 122 BC, but his tomb wasn't discovered until 1983 when workers were digging the foundations for a new block of apartments.The tomb has been very well-restored since its rediscovery and contains the skeletons of the king and 15 courtiers – thought to be guards, cooks and concubines – who were buried alive to forever attend to him. Also buried were several thousand objects including swords, musical instruments, gold seals, bronze, silver and pottery artefacts, many of which have been put on display at the museum next door. The remarkably small tomb, built entirely of stone slabs, is now under a glass pyramid and is behind the museum. It's a good idea to start your visit with the short video that explains some of the history behind the tomb. The museum is made up of three buildings: the Comprehensive Exhibition Building, the Main Exhibition Building and the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King. Its displays are high tech with plenty of English language captions. Some highlights include the jade shroud sewn with silk thread that was worn by the emperor the Nanyue believed that wearing jade made a person immortal. Also interesting are the ceramic pillows that are thought to have been meant as pillows for the emperor to rest on for ever more. The museum and tomb are a few steps away from the Yuexiu Park subway station. It is open every day and there is a small admission charge.