In 1978, a great tomb which can be dated back to early Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.) was discovered in Sui County of Hubei Province. More than 15,000 relics were excavated from the tomb, including bronze ritual vessels, musical instruments, weapons, lacquerware and so on. Among these relics, the 65 chime bells are the most famous. The biggest bell is 153.4 cm (60.4 inches) with a weight of 203.6 kg (448.9 pounds). Although the bells had been buried underground for more than 2,000 years, people can still use them to play music! The bronze Zun and Pan, which were also found in the tomb, are also incredible. The Zun was situated inside the Pan to receive wine; meanwhile, ice could be put into Pan to cool the wine. Then, people could enjoy a cold drink! A lacquer box found in the tomb is also marvelous. The twenty-eight constellations which the celestial sphere was divided in ancient Chinese astronomy were painted on the box. The pictures tell the archaeologists that ancient Chinese had known astronomy already in the fifth century B.C.

Hubei Provincial Museum has no lack of rarities with pieces of great value including pottery, jade ware, lacquer ware and paintings. For some one who wants to know more about the ancient civilization of the southern China, Hubei Provincial Museum is well worth a visit.