Having been out of sight for several thousand years, the manuscripts were brought to light in 1973 at “Tomb Number 3” (dated at 168 BC) of Mawangdui, an archeological site near Changsha. The unearthed polymathic texts discussed philosophy, politics, traditional Chinese medicine, Daoist yoga, Yin and Yang, and astronomy. In the decades since 1973, scholars have published many Mawangdui manuscript studies.

Duan Geshu at the opening ceremony

Duan Geshu was 23 years old that year. The excavation of Huangdi Sijing aroused his interest and soon he began dedicating himself to studying the canonical book on “Huang-Lao” philosophy. As a calligrapher, 30 years later, Duan produced the outstanding calligraphy work on Huangdi Sijing with gold ink and dark-blue rice paper. “The exhibition here is meant to let more people know Huangdi Sijing and the philosophy it elaborated,” Duang said at the opening ceremony of the exhibition.