Han Tombs in Mancheng Mancheng Hanmu

The two tombs in Mancheng dating from the time of the western Han (206 BC-AD 23) are situated about 150km/93mi to the northeast of Shijiazhuang and are the last resting place of the prince Liu Sheng and his wife. The two underground mausoleums (a true reproduction of the residence of the ruling pair with bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms, etc.), are 50m/164ft long, 38m/125ft wide and 7m/22ft tall.

The two tomb chambers are covered by a hermetically insulating sheet of cast iron. The clothes on both the bodies are made from small pieces of jade, held together with gold thread (the prince's have 2498 jade pieces and 1100 grams of gold thread, the princess's have 2160 jade pieces and 600 grams of gold thread). Also discovered in the tomb is an extremely charming gilded bronze statue, 48cm/18in. high, of a kneeling lady-in-waiting holding a lamp. By this specimen the direction and the strength of the light could be regulated.

A further priceless addition to the grave goods is a bronze incense-burner which has picture subjects with gold thread running through them; they portray towering mountain ranges on the far side of a sea.