Hunan Museum

Welcome to the Hunan Museum, one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in China. Located in the vibrant city of Changsha, this museum is a gateway to over two thousand years of history. …

Our tour begins with the story of the discovery of the Mawangdui tombs. In the early 1970s, during a period of infrastructure development, workers at a hospital site in Changsha stumbled upon a unique geological feature. …

In this gallery, we explore the peak of Han Dynasty silk production. China was known to the ancient world as 'Seres,' the Kingdom of Silk, and the textiles from Mawangdui are the finest examples ever discovered. …

One of the most profound artifacts in the museum is the T-shaped silk painting, often called the 'Flying Garment' or 'Fei-yee.' This banner was found draped over the inner coffin lid in Lady Xin Zhui's tomb. It functioned as a…

The Hunan Museum also houses an extraordinary collection of bamboo slips and silk manuscripts that reveal the advanced scientific knowledge of the Han era. One manuscript, the 'Divination Based on the Observation of Five…

Finally, we come to the most astonishing exhibit in the museum: the preserved remains of Lady Xin Zhui. Known as the 'Mawangdui Mummy,' she is actually a 'wet mummy,' quite different from the dry corpses found in Egypt. …

To conclude our tour, we visit the restored scene of the Mawangdui tomb pit. This massive structure gives you a true sense of the scale of the burial. …

As you leave the Hunan Museum, take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey you have just taken. We have moved through the corridors of time to witness the pinnacle of Han Dynasty culture. …