A short-lived kingdom first established in Southern China by a military commander at the end of Qin Dynasty(the third century B.C.), the kingdom of Nanyue was later subdued to the stronger Han State from north China in 111 B.C. after centuries of antagonisms. After its fall, Nanyue served as the capital for Southern Han kingdom from A.D. 917-71. Now in the huge metropolis of Guangzhou, the ruins of Nanyue kingdom well preserved in the commercial center of the city are an integral part of Cantonese culture, displaying layers of civilization of 2,000 years.
Best approached from Exit E of Yuexiu Park subway station, the mausoleum of Nanyue Kingdom’s Palace is currently free of entry fee(normally it costs ￥12 per person), opening all day from 8am to 17:00pm, including weekends. It’s almost impossible to miss the archaeological site with its vast eye-catching rectangular shape. Different from other scenic areas in China, most details of the mausoleum are also labeled in English, a nice move for archaeology buffs who do not understand Chinese. Give yourself at least half a day if you are fond of reading.
Archaeological Site Museum of Nanyue Palace’s a three-story mausoleum with a great assortment of archeological findings and artefacts, and the highlighted parts lie on the burial sites on the third floor and the excavated treasures at the back, while the ground level exhibits some amazingly beautiful potteries and antiques that are not related to the Palace of Nanyue Kingdom.
What makes this museum amazing is that it does not only reveal the construction of one era, instead, it’s 13 eras with one built over another, and the earliest one can be dated back to 2,000 years ago. Near the entrance a raised walkway would lead you through the historic site, with a glimpse of the ancient wells, tunnels and tombs while standing over some glass platforms. In the excavated area, expect to find the remains of the palaces of the Nanyue Kingdom and Nanhan Kingdom as well as the royal gardens.
The museum houses loads of excavated artefacts, including broken pieces of pottery, porcelain, bricks, tiles, carved roof adornments, coins, etc. from Qin-Han to Ming-Qing dynasties.
The remnants of garden with ancient waterways, sewerage tiles at draining methods, wells that were dug thousands of years ago are simply mind-blowing.
Don’t miss out on the rooftop garden that was recreated based on archaeological findings.
Ayia Napa Municipality noted that three agreements were created to work with Tourism Administration of Guangzhou Municipality, Archaeological Site Museum of Nanyue Palace; and China Performing Arts Agency (CPAA) Theatres.