The Nanhan Er Ling Museum is a thematic museum built around the site of the Nanhan Er Ling, which refers to the De Ling of Emperor Liezong Liu Yin and the Kang Ling of Emperor Gaozu Liu Yan, two of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Discovered between 2003 and 2004, it was acclaimed as one of the top ten archaeological discoveries in China in 2004 and became a national key cultural relics protection unit in 2006. The museum spans an area of 85,317 square meters, including the museum area and the Kang Ling site area, with a total construction area of 21,678 square meters. The exhibition hall covers approximately 3,900 square meters, the library about 300 square meters, and other indoor public activity spaces about 1,700 square meters.
The museum features two permanent exhibitions: ‘Amongst Clouds and Pearls – Archaeological Discoveries in Guangzhou’ and ‘Han Style and Tang Charm – History and Culture of the Nanhan Dynasty’. The former showcases the social aspects of the Guangzhou region during the pre-Qin period, the urban development and historical cultural accumulation over 2,200 years since the city’s establishment in the Qin Dynasty, and its continuous history of overseas interactions, while also presenting the city’s archaeological process and the results of archaeological heritage protection. The latter uses archaeological findings and existing Nanhan historical relics to present the history and culture of the Nanhan Dynasty to the public through objects, images, videos, and multimedia interactions.
Additionally, the museum houses a distinctive public education facility – the ‘Public Archaeology Activity Center’, with a total area of nearly 1,200 square meters, including an exhibition hall of archaeological knowledge, a simulated archaeological experience area, a cultural relic restoration experience area, a cultural relic rubbing experience area, a virtual display area, a reading room, and a science popularization lecture hall. Moreover, the Kang Ling site has completed its protection and display project and is officially open to the public. Visitors are welcome to visit the Kang Ling site to witness the true face of Guangzhou’s imperial tombs that have stood for thousands of years. Opening hours are Tuesday-Sunday from 09:00 to 17:30; closed all day on Mondays; open from 09:00 to 21:00 on Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day; and open from 09:00 to 17:30 on New Year’s Day, Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, and Dragon Boat Festival.
Nanhan Er Ling Museum
The Nanhan Er Ling Museum is a thematic museum built around the site of the Nanhan Er Ling, which re[...]
