Gossamer silk
Han dynasty.
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Hunan's main provincial museum, which first opened in 1956, closed in 2012 for rebuilding and reopened in its new building in late 2017, designed with the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki; its collections hold more than 180,000 objects. Its greatest treasures are the finds from the Han-dynasty tombs of Mawangdui, more than two thousand years old and among the most important archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century: robes of silk gauze so fine they are almost weightless, brightly lacquered vessels, silk paintings and silk manuscripts of ancient texts. The museum also displays the preserved body of a noblewoman from those tombs, one of the best-preserved bodies in the world, in a separate hall that can be skipped, alongside galleries on Hunan's history and arts. Entry is free with a timed booking up to seven days ahead, and the museum closes on Mondays, per visitor guides. Slots sell out fast on holidays, so book early.
Han dynasty.
Bright and fine.
Ancient texts.
50 Dongfeng Road, Kaifu District, Changsha
Yes, entry is free with a timed booking up to seven days ahead, and the museum closes on Mondays, per visitor guides.