Mawangdui Silk Manuscripts (Boshu)
Over 50 texts written on silk — including lost versions of the Dao De Jing, medical treatises, astronomical charts, and military maps — the single most important manuscript discovery in Chinese archaeology.
The Story
From Tomb 3 at Mawangdui (burial of Lady Dai's son) came a library written on silk: two previously unknown versions of Laozi's Dao De Jing (with chapters in reverse order from all known editions), detailed medical texts describing acupuncture meridians and herbal formulas, the oldest known Chinese astronomical chart (showing 29 comet forms), military maps of Changsha kingdom territory, and philosophical texts by schools of thought that had been lost for 2,000 years. The Mawangdui manuscripts revolutionized scholarship on early Chinese philosophy, science, and cartography. They proved that the intellectual world of the early Han was far richer and more diverse than the received Confucian canon suggested. The discovery is often compared in significance to the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Why It Matters
China's Dead Sea Scrolls — manuscript discoveries that rewrote the history of Chinese philosophy, medicine, astronomy, and cartography, trending again with CGTN's 2026 'China Crafted' series on Mawangdui.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Mawangdui Silk Manuscripts (Boshu)?
Over 50 texts written on silk — including lost versions of the Dao De Jing, medical treatises, astronomical charts, and military maps — the single most important manuscript discovery in Chinese archaeology.
2. When was Mawangdui Silk Manuscripts (Boshu) made?
Mawangdui Silk Manuscripts (Boshu) dates to c. 168 BC, during the Western Han Dynasty.
3. Where can I see Mawangdui Silk Manuscripts (Boshu)?
Mawangdui Silk Manuscripts (Boshu) is held by Hunan Provincial Museum in China. Check the linked collection record or museum website before visiting because display rotations can change.
4. Why is Mawangdui Silk Manuscripts (Boshu) important?
China's Dead Sea Scrolls — manuscript discoveries that rewrote the history of Chinese philosophy, medicine, astronomy, and cartography, trending again with CGTN's 2026 'China Crafted' series on Mawangdui.
5. What is Mawangdui Silk Manuscripts (Boshu) made of?
Mawangdui Silk Manuscripts (Boshu) is classified as painting and made of Ink on silk.
Fun Facts
Contains two versions of the Dao De Jing older than any previously known text
The astronomical chart shows 29 forms of comets — the world's earliest systematic comet catalog
Medical texts describe acupuncture meridians centuries before the canonical Huangdi Neijing
Often called 'China's Dead Sea Scrolls' for their impact on scholarship
Where to See It
Public collections holding this artifact or closely related pieces.
Part of These Themes
Related Artifacts
Painting
T-Shaped Silk Funeral Banner of Lady Dai
A 2,200-year-old painted silk banner from the tomb of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui) at Mawangdui — the finest surviving example of Han Dynasty painting and a cosmological map of heaven, earth, and the underworld.
Sculpture
Mawangdui Nested Lacquer Coffins of Lady Dai
Four nested coffins — each more lavishly decorated than the last — that preserved Lady Dai's body for over 2,100 years in near-perfect condition, representing the pinnacle of Han Dynasty lacquer craftsmanship.
Silk / Textile
Mawangdui Silk Manuscript of the I Ching
One of the earliest surviving manuscript witnesses to the I Ching, copied on silk and buried in the Mawangdui Han tombs before later received editions became canonical.
Sources & References
- ·Wikipedia — Mawangdui Silk Texts(CC-BY-SA 3.0)
Content informed by the sources above. Where Wikipedia text is used, it is licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.