Chamber of Southern Song tomb reawakens history

It is the fruit of a systematic, 13-year-long archaeological project by the Zhejiang cultural relics and archaeology institute.

"Ours is a long-term, continuous and meticulously planned operation," Li states.

Since 2012, his team has surveyed the entire 2.3-square-kilometer area. In 2023, they shifted focus to the northern section.

Using traditional manual drilling, they identified several promising spots, ultimately choosing the highest point for excavation as it best matched the classical royal tomb layout of "sitting against the hills and facing the water".

Li points out that the shicangzi is not merely a tomb chamber but the core of the entire burial.

It was a sophisticated, multilayered structure, beginning with a deep pit, he explains.