If Treasures Could Talk: Mausoleum blueprint reveals king's plans from thousands of years ago

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We continue with our series If Treasures Could Talk, showcasing some of China's most valuable ancient treasures. Come with us today to see the oldest known architectural blueprint. And it's for none other than a king's mausoleum. The gold and silver engraved bronze model reveals how the King planned his eventual resting place 2,300 years ago, and his inspiration for the design.

You have a new message from an ancient treasure.

In the course of 2,300 years, this bronze plate has been bent, burned and tarnished. Yet the gold and silver lines remain clear.

It's the oldest known architectural blueprint. It's the plan for the mausoleum of King Cuo, who ruled the State of Zhongshan during the Warring States Period.

His name doesn't appear in any historical records. It's only found on this bronze vessel. The inscription tells us how King Cuo put down an uprising in the State of Yan. The vessel itself is made of spoils from that war.

Zhongshan covered part of what is today, southern Hebei province. Because it lay between two stronger states, its borders had to be heavily guarded.

The king wanted his mausoleum to be built on the scale of a palace, facing south.

The plan is 96 cm long and 48 cm wide, or roughly two paces by one.

The plan describes the mausoleum's layout, its structures and five main chambers, all measured in feet and inches.

It's drawn on a precise 500:1 scale. It reveals the architect's remarkable ability to picture the layout from a bird's eye perspective.

However, soon after the king and queen's burial, Zhongshan was overrun, and the tomb was never built as planned.

All that is left of Zhongshan, is found underground.

It would be 2,300 years before King Cuo's final resting place was discovered. The artefacts found in it reveal how high the level of bronze-working was, during the Warring States Period.

The intricately-designed table has four deer – two bucks and two does – serving as legs.

Dragons and phoenixes are interlocked, with dragon heads extending from each corner supporting the square table frame.

The various components could be assembled at a moment's notice.

A fierce tiger biting a small deer bends its neck at an acute angle to create a support for two folding screens. The movable hinges mean that the screens could be easily folded and stored.

Thanks to the bronze components, tents were easy to assemble, and fold.

What inspired such amazing skill and creativity?

It may have been that King Cuo, after a lifetime spent fighting wars, longed for somewhere peaceful in the afterlife.