China Guide
Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan Island
The Nanyue Tomb
Opening time: Daily 9am–5.30pm, last admission 4.45pm
Price: ¥12
Address: Jiefang Bei Lu (Yuexiu Gongyuan metro stop)
Discovered in 1983 during foundation-digging for a residential estate, the looming, red sandstone facade of the Nanyue Tomb houses the 2000-year-old site of the tomb of Zhao Mo, grandson of the Nanyue Kingdom's founder Zhao Tuo. It really deserves an hour of your time – there's an English-language video and a mass of exhibits.
Zhao Mo made a better job of his tomb than running his kingdom, which disintegrated shortly after his death: excavators found the tomb stacked with gold and priceless trinkets. They're on view in the museum, including a burial suit made from more than a thousand tiny jade tiles (jade was considered to prevent decay), and the ash-like remains of slaves and concubines immured with him. Several artefacts show Central Asian influence in their designs, illustrating how even at this early stage in Guangzhou's history there was contact with non-Chinese peoples. It's all fascinating and expertly presented, particularly worthwhile if you plan to visit contemporary grave sites in the Yangzi Basin or at Xi'an. Incidentally, Zhao Tuo's tomb still awaits discovery, though rumours of its fabulous treasures had eager excavators turning Guangzhou inside out as long ago as the Three Kingdoms period (220–280 AD).