Centuries-old jade burial suit shines at exhibition

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From grandiose tombs like the Egyptian pyramids to invaluable funerary objects and treasures such as China's Terracotta Army, ancient civilizations commonly dedicated tremendous efforts to prepare for the afterlife.

And so it was for China's Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-AD 220).

Huge quantities of funerary items from that period discovered 50 years ago in tombs in Mancheng in Hebei Province are on display at the last exhibition for 2018 at the National Museum of China in Beijing.

The excavation of the Mancheng tombs in 1968 lasted for about half a year, and a total of 10,633 relics were unearthed in one of the most prominent archaeological discoveries of China during the last century.

Liu Sheng's Jade Suit Sewn with Gold Thread is on display at the "Splendors of Great Han" exhibition at the National Museum of China in Beijing, December 28, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

Among the various tomb treasures are the famed jade burial suit of Liu Sheng, Duke Zhongshan in the Han Dynasty, termed as "Jade Suit Sewn with Gold Thread" that draws attention for its delicacy and elegance.

The 188cm-long jade suit sewn with gold thread is the earliest and finest one among over 20 jade burial suits that have been discovered in China up to now.

Ancient Chinese, especially Han people, believed that jade could absorb the energy from nature and then embrace great power to keep evil spirit away as well as to preserve bodies.

A screenshot showing a video featuring Liu Sheng's Jade Suit Sewn with Gold Thread posted on Chinanews' official account on Weibo gained around ‍170,000 views within seven hours.

Made of 2,498 pieces of jade and threaded with 1,100 grams of gold wires, the burial suit was exquisitely designed to fit its wearer's body shape perfectly.

Photos and videos of the suit taken by the visitors soon surfaced on social media as many found its belly and hip as “fairly realistic” for showing the duke's “beer belly.”

With jade slices lined orderly and colored harmoniously, the luxury burial suit reflects the superb craftsmanship of the day and the lavish lives of the nobility in the Han Dynasty, when jade suits were used as costumes for deceased emperors and royal members.

The exhibits at the National Museum of China in Beijing, December 28, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

The exhibition features 722 cultural relics from Hebei's provincial museum and two pieces of the collection at the National Museum.

Aside from Liu's luxury burial suit, highlights of the exhibition include the earliest Chinese homemade glass container, the best-preserved armor of the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-AD 24), as well as the oldest, finest and the most complete set of medical instruments.

"Splendors of Great Han: Exhibition Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Excavation of the Han Dynasty Tombs in Mancheng" opened on Friday and will run until March 28.

(Cover: Liu Sheng's Jade Suit Sewn with Gold Thread draws much attention at the "Splendors of Great Han" exhibition at the National Museum of China in Beijing, December 28, 2018. /Xinhua Photo)