EVENTS
Event Highlights
“Photo Exhibition of the Archaeological Discoveries Made at the Palace of the Nanyue Kingdom” Guided Tour and Lunch
2021-07-14
Maritime Silk Road Society (MSRS) organized a “Photo Exhibition of the Archaeological Discoveries Made at the Palace of the Nanyue Kingdom” Visit and Lunch at Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre on 14 July.
MSRS is much honored to have invited three experts of the Hong Kong Archaeological Society to introduce to the participants the archaeological process of excavating the Nanyue ruins and the historical status of the Nanyue Kingdom.
Nanyue Kingdom, was a state that existed in the Lingnan region from 203 BC to 111 BC. Its capital was located in Panyu (now Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province). When the Qin Dynasty was about to perish, the Nanyue Kingdom was established in 203 BC by Zhao Tuo, after he occupied Guilin County and Xiang County. In 196 BC, Zhao Tuo paid obeisance to the Western Han Emperor Liu Bang, and became a "foreign servant" of the Western Han Dynasty. Around 183 BC, relations between the Nanyue and the Han dynasty soured, when Zhao Tuo began to claim himself as an emperor, suggesting an equal status between Nanyue and the Han Dynasty. In 112 BC, Emperor Wu of Han sent 100,000 troops to war against Nanyue. The next year, the army had destroyed Nanyue and established the Han rule. The dynastic state lasted for 93 years and had five generations of monarchs.
Since 1975, cultural remains dating from the Nanyue Kingdom during the Western Han and its succeeding periods have been excavated at the site of the Palace of the Nanyue Kingdom. The discovery of the remains of palaces and garden ponds of the Nanyue Kingdom, and Southern Han Kingdom is very significant as it suggests that the area was the city centre of Guangzhou for over a thousand years. The remnants unearthed from the site also give insights into Guangzhou’s role in East-West cultural exchange and the prosperity of the Maritime Silk Road.
Participants appreciated the exhibition under the guidance of the archaeological experts. The tour ended with halal food enjoyment at CRISPI BUN restaurant.
