Mawangdui Archaeological Site

Address: Changsha area, Hunan Province (main finds are in Hunan Provincial Museum, No. 50 Shaoshan Middle Road, Changsha)

Website: http://www.hnmuseum.com/

Hours: Museum hours vary (often Tue-Sun 9:00am-5:00pm, closed Monday)

Admission: Museum admission varies (approx. 10-30 CNY)

Mawangdui is an archaeological site near Changsha in Hunan Province, China, containing Western Han dynasty tombs from the early 2nd century BCE. It is best known for the exceptionally preserved finds from Tomb 1.

The near-intact body commonly known as Lady Dai (Xin Zhui), a painted silk funerary banner, manuscripts and large quantities of lacquerware and textiles; the site produced numerous paper and silk documents important for early Chinese studies. Many artifacts are displayed in local museums in Changsha.

The burial complex comprises three tombs sealed in the Western Han period; they were excavated in the 1970s by Chinese archaeologists and yielded a wide range of organic and written materials that survived because of the tombs’ sealing conditions. The finds significantly expanded knowledge of Han burial practice and material culture.

Mawangdui lies on the outskirts of modern Changsha, Hunan, near the Xiang River. The site is accessible from the city and its finds are housed in museum displays in Changsha.

• 1970s excavations: Excavations in the early 1970s revealed an unusually well preserved corpus of Western Han artifacts, including organic materials such as silk, lacquer and the intact mummy of Lady Dai.

What to See#

• Tomb 1: Tomb 1 contains the exceptionally well preserved body known as Lady Dai (Xin Zhui) along with a painted silk funerary banner and a large assemblage of lacquerware and textiles.
• Tombs 2 and 3: Tomb 2 and Tomb 3 are additional Western Han burials at the site that yielded lacquer objects, manuscripts, and other grave goods dating to the same period.

The primary artifacts from Mawangdui are housed in the Hunan Provincial Museum in Changsha (No. 50 Shaoshan Middle Road). Changsha is served by an airport (CSX) and high-speed rail; local taxis and buses connect the railway station to the museum and archaeological sites.

• Visit the Hunan Provincial Museum (where many Mawangdui finds are housed) early in the morning to avoid crowds and see the silk garments and lacquerware with better light.
• Look for high-resolution photographs of the lacquered coffin and the famous 'Changsha bamboo slips' in exhibit catalogs or museum labels; the preserved body of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui) is a headline exhibit but may be off display for conservation reasons.
• Combine the site visit with local Xiang cuisine - the region's smoked, salty flavors are a gustatory counterpoint to the cool precision of the tomb artefacts.