Hunan Provincial Museum
Hunan Provincial Museum reopened in 2017 after a major renovation, with the Mawangdui Han Tombs gallery as its crown jewel. The three tombs, excavated in 1972–1974, yielded over 3,000 artifacts from the burial of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui), her husband the Marquis of Dai, and their son. The museum's collection includes the famous T-shaped silk funeral banner, four nested lacquer coffins, over 50 silk manuscripts (including lost versions of the Dao De Jing), musical instruments, food remains, and Lady Dai's astonishingly preserved body. The 2026 CGTN documentary series 'China Crafted' has renewed global interest in the Mawangdui lacquerware and silk collections.
180,000
Collection items
Visit Information
- Opening Hours
- 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Closed Mondays)
- Admission
- Free
- Website
- Official Site
Must-See Highlights
- •T-Shaped Silk Funeral Banner
- •Nested Lacquer Coffins of Lady Dai
- •Mawangdui Silk Manuscripts
Notable Artifacts at This Museum
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.
Painting
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.