One of China's greatest archaeological finds is on its way to Beijing. Dating back more than 2,000 years, the tomb of Haihunhou, in Jiangxi Province, has proven a trove both of treasure and of historical insight into China's western Han Dynasty.
Now, preparations are underway for a three-month exhibition in the capital.
The exhibition items have been selected from over 20,000 pieces excavated over the past five years. They will first appear in Beijing on March the 2nd.
"We have chosen around 400 items for the exhibition in Beijing, including bronze ware, gold ware, jade articles, and lacquerware replicas," said Xu Changqing, director, Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology.
Among the highlights are chariots and harnesses that demonstrate the best bronze casting techniques and decorative art of the era.
Special restorative and protective measures are in place for this collection.
"We have arranged specialists to repair and maintain the bronze and jade wares. For example, they polished the jade articles and put together the smaller fragments," Xu said.
"The contamination sticking to the surface of the bronze ware - such as the bronze bells - has also been cleaned. So this batch of relics is quite exquisite, and we will make sure they are not damaged during the exhibition."
Since excavations began in March 2011, archaeologists have unearthed more than 20,000 items at the cemetery site, including gold, bronze, iron, jade, lacquerware, textiles, pottery, bamboo slips, and wooden tablets.
Such findings from the period are extremely rare. The Beijing exhibition will also show evidence that proves the tomb owner's identity.
