Why go
The tomb belonged to Li Cang, a feudal lord, his wife Lady Dai, and their son — the family of the Marquis of Dai. Their burial chamber, sealed with layers of charcoal and clay, created an oxygen-free environment that preserved not just the bodies but lacquer bowls still glossy and silk robes as thin as gossamer.
The painted silk funeral banner, draped over Lady Dai's coffin, shows her journey to the afterlife and is one of the masterpieces of ancient Chinese art.
- Lady Dai: a 2,000-year-old corpse with skin still soft
- The painted silk banner from her tomb, a masterpiece of Han art
- Vast lacquerware and silk clothing from the Western Han dynasty
- A top-ten China museum with a fraction of the crowds
The big three
Everything funnels toward three things: Lady Dai herself, displayed in a climate-controlled case (no photos — guards enforce it, and rightly so); the painted silk funeral banner, with its astonishing detail and colour; and the extraordinary lacquerware, which offers a vivid window into Han-dynasty luxury. The silk garments, some weighing almost nothing, are equally staggering.
Plan your visit
Changsha is easy to reach by high-speed rail — about three hours from Guangzhou or Wuhan — making it an easy add-on to a southern China itinerary. The museum is compact enough for a focused two-hour visit. Combine with a bowl of Changsha stinky tofu and an evening walk along the Xiangjiang riverfront.
Getting there
- Metro Line 6 to Liuyanghe; the museum is a short walk
- Star
- Lady Dai — preserved since ~163 BCE
- Treasure
- Painted silk funeral banner
- Entry
- Free with timed reservation
