Dynasty of Yue of the South

The Dynastie of Yue of the South (南越國) had a court reigns between 203 av. J. - C. and 111av. J. - C.. Traditional historiography Chinese did not take it into account; she was regarded as a dynasty with whole share only following archaeological discoveries.

During its period of maximum extension, the kingdom covered the equivalent of the current provinces of the Guangdong, the Guangxi, and the north of the Vietnam.

Historical and chronological reference marks

Panyu (番禺), current site of Canton, was an important place of commercial exchanges, profiting from an opening on the sea and an important seaport. Horns of rhinoceros, Ivory and jewels counted among the products exchanged through the maritime trade. One found African ivory and a box Persian silver in the mausoleum of the king Zhao Mo.

A site of naval construction dated between 221 and 207 av. J. - C. was exhumed in Zhongsan Silu in Canton, where parts Qin were. The ships which were built there were to weigh between 25 and 30 tons.

Of 183 av. J. - C. with 183, the Dynastie Han imposed economic sanctions against Yue of the South and blocked their supply iron.

In 113 av. J. - C., the emperor Han Wudi sent a troop of 100.000 soldiers to subdue a rebellion with Canton.

In 111 av. J. - C., Han Wudi, after having conquered Zhejiang and Fujian, put an end to the dynasty of Yue South

The mausoleum of the king Zhao Mo

The king Zhao Mo (趙眜) reigned on the kingdom of Yue of the South between 137 and 122 av J.C, short reign after which a mausoleum was built in its honor, leaving a thousand of objects having an important historical, scientific and artistic significance.

The mausoleum, discovered in 1983 on the avenue of the People (人民路) with Canton, gave place to in situ opening of the Museum of the King of Nan of the South of Han Western (title which does not swear with traditional historiography) in 1988. This scoop archaeological obviously contributed to the valorization of the culture of the area of Guangdong, the majority of the Chinese dynastic capitals having been located much more at north.

Among the exhumed objects are inter alia a seal of gold execution of the king, of great value symbolic system in China, and silk bent a wire jade shroud. Among the nine found seals, the " seal of execution of Wendi" was the largest gold seal of the Han period, only including/understanding the effigy of a dragon. The largest disc in Jade of the period Han (33,4 cm diameter) was also found.

Among the musical instruments found in the mausoleum, several whole of percussions appears, of which a whole of goubian , eight bells of 191 kilos on the whole, and a bianqing out of stone. Also a set of failures Liubo (六博棋子), 620 weights for, stone fishing net appear with ink, an arsenal of weapons, the five substances of the remedies of immortality (五石散, of which: Ocher Sulfur, , turquoise, Amethyst).

In the tomb, of cruciform form, the bodies of the close relations of the king Zhao Mo were:

In the passage of entry (墓道), the guards (卫侍)
In the frontal room (前室), eunuques (景港令) the
In the wing is (東耳室), the concubines (夫人)
In the western wing (西耳室), serving them or slaves (奴仆)
were also in the western appendix of the principal room (西侧室) of the remainders of animals.

The frontal handing-over (外藏室), the principal room of the coffin and the secondary handing-over (後藏室) are the other remarkable parts of the mausoleum.

The jade shroud

It was believed formerly that jade could preserve the body of the putrefaction: at the time, the reputation of the remedies of immortality had even led the emperor Qingshi Huangdi to send an important forwarding directed by Xu Fu to their research. Thus, the shroud of the king Zhao Mo completely consisted of jade plates connected between them by silk points. The coffin in which the body was laid out consisted of two thicknesses of wood, between which plates of the most invaluable jade were inserted, like the rhyton.

Under the shroud had been placed a series of five concentric jade discs, also intended to ensure the immortality of the king. Ten iron swords rested beside the shroud.

Emperors of the dynasty of Yue of the South

Zh-yue: 南越國

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