Last month in the special series If Treasures Could Talk, CGTN showcased some of China's most valuable ancient treasures. Today, we continue with Fu Hao Jade Phoenix. It is a jade phoenix belonging to Fu Hao, one of the queens of Shang king Wu Ding. Fu Hao's tomb contains many jade pieces and other artifacts, painting an image of both an elegant and powerful lady.

You have a new message from an ancient treasure. Phoenix Fu Hao Jade Phoenix Legend of the phoenix.

Legend has it that the Shang dynasty was founded by the descendants of a phoenix.

This jade phoenix belonged to Fu Hao, queen of the Shang king, Wu Ding. It was among a large number of jade artefacts found in Fu Hao's tomb at the Yinxu ancient site in Henan. Yinxu has also yielded more than 10,000 oracle bone inscriptions. Two hundred of them mention Fu Hao. They describe her thoughts on warfare, giving birth and suffering illness, and even her impressions of the afterlife.

In total, the tomb of Fu Hao contained 755 jade pieces and 500 hundred other artefacts. They include bone hairpins, copper mirrors, bone combs, exquisite ivory cups, bone knives and precious stones including turquoise, malachite and agate. All together, they paint an image of an elegant lady who liked to dress well and enjoy the comforts of her position. The rich quality of the artefacts also points to her being a much-loved queen.

More unusual for a queen's tomb are the hundreds of bronze weapons and sacrificial vessels.

The large bronze axe is inscribed with Fu Hao's name. Evidently, this was no fragile court lady. In Shang's patriarchal society, she had an unusually powerful influence on the affairs of state.

Fu Hao is known to have been an outstanding military commander who ruled her own fiefdom.

Under King Wu Ding, the Shang dynasty enjoyed great prosperity. He succeeded in expanding his kingdom, thanks largely to conquests made by Fu Hao.

As a queen and general, Fu Hao strengthened her husband's kingdom and earned the respect of the people. As a mother and wife, she was a paragon of womanly virtue. Comfortable in both armour and gown, she was described as being as hard as bronze and as soft as jade. Recreation of Fu Hao's grave.

She was Wu Ding's lover, confidante and comrade-in-arms. When she died at just 33 years of age, he was devastated. He had her laid to rest close to his palace. A temple was erected over her grave, which was filled with treasures. These included more than 6,800 sea shells – the currency of the time. Fu Hao's is the only complete Shang tomb so far discovered at Yinxu. Yinxu Museum, Henan Province.

The relics reveal to us a lot about this impressive lady, who lived three thousand years ago. Through Fu Hao's jade phoenix, we get a sense of a charming lady, frozen in time, inclining towards us.