The Han Dynasty is a period of Chinese history extending from 206 BC to 220 AD during which China was united, prosperous, and stable, and it is considered to be the second greatest Chinese imperial dynasty. In contrast to the preceding Qin dynasty, the Han was a period of cultural flowering. One of the greatest of the early histories, the Shiji by Sima Qian, was composed, and the fu, a poetic form that became the norm for creative writing, began to flourish. The Yuefu, or Music Bureau, collected and recorded not only ceremonial chants but also the songs and ballads of ordinary people. Lacquer ware, first developed during the Shang dynasty, reached a level of great mastery, and silk was woven for export trade, which reached as far as Europe. Buddhism entered China during the Han. Paper was invented, time was measured with water clocks and sundials, and calendars were published frequently. So thoroughly did the Han dynasty establish what was thereafter considered Chinese culture that the Mandarin Chinese word for Chinese people is Han.

Jiangsu contains several important sites and many priceless relics from the Han Dynasty. This is particularly true in Xuzhou, which contains the Han Dynasty Terra Cotta Warrior Museum (Cultural Site of Han Dynasty), the Guishan Han Tomb, and many other Han treasures in the Xuzhou Museum.

The original name of Xuzhou is Pengcheng, with a 6000-year splendid culture. During the time of Emperor Yao, the Dapeng State was established here. It has a 2500-year city building history, and is one of the first cities in Jiangsu. Xuzhou was one of the nine states under the rule of Emperor Yu of the Xia Dynasty (21 century BC) when he was in charge of the regulation of rivers and watercourses. At that time, Xuzhou was a name for a wide area, in which Pengcheng functioned as the central town. Xuzhou is the hometown of Emperor Liu Bang, the founder of Han Dynasty. Liu Bang bestowed the title of Province of Chu State. For hundreds of years afterwards, the Chu State of Western Han Dynasty was ruled by Liu’s descendants and the rich precious cultural heritage of Han Dynasty which has been preserved, reveals the economic prosperity and stability at that age. Differently-constructed tombs, life-like stone sculptures, and vivid terracotta warriors and horses are well-known as the “Three Treasures of Han Dynasty.”

Guishan Han Tomb
Guishan Han Tomb is a tomb for Liu Zhu and his wife, the sixth Prince and Princess of Chu State. It is 83 meters long and 33 meters wide, covering an area of more than 700 square meters, and consists of 15 tomb chambers. Everything needed in daily life is found in the bedroom, dining room, stable and kitchen, which can still be seen in what is essentially a splendid underground palace.
The construction of the tomb is a matter of wonder since the tomb was dug from two opposite directions and joined inside the middle of the hill. It is hard to understand how the building at that time calculated so precisely (with the maximum deviation of 5 millimeters) without any modern equipment. Every passage of the tomb is blocked up by 26 blocks of stone, each of which is as heavy as 6 or 7 tons. Such a carefully dug and polished gigantic tomb project is a superb piece of art and a tribute to ancient Chinese craftsmen.

Lion Hill Tomb
Lion Hill Tomb is for Liu Wu, the third Prince of Chu who lived in the early Western Han Dynasty. The construction of the tomb was such a great project that 5,100 cubic meters of stone were dug out to create this oddly-structured gigantic tomb. It is grand and stately with big chambers which contained 2,000 pieces of the precious cultural relics made of gold, silver, jade, bronze, iron, stone and lacquer. The terracotta warriors and horses discovered 300 meters away to the west represent the army forces protecting the tomb. The excavation of the tomb was listed as one of China’s Top 10 archaeological discoveries in 1995 and has been highly praised for its grand and extensive Han characteristics.

The Stone Sculpture of Tombs of the Han Dynasty
These stone sculptures are typical decorative patterns in the tombs of the Han Dynasty. So far, more than 20 tombs with stone sculptures have been discovered in Xuzhou, among which the Maocun and BaijiTombs are famous. The substantial contents and superb techniques demonstrated in the stone sculptures make them very special.

The Terracotta Warriors
The Xuzhou Terracotta Warriors and Horses of the Han Dynasty, is another significant discovery after Xi’an Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Dynasty. As the funerary objects of Prince of Chu, more than 4,000 pieces of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses have been unearthed.