Roaming the World (1781): The Ninth Stop of the Yangtze Century Cruise – Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array

In early to mid-June 2024, during the 11-day [Century Legend + Ode to Mountains and Rivers + Three Gorges] cruise from Chongqing to Shanghai, I visited the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array. The picture shows the entrance of the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.

The Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area, also known as the Xiongjiazhong National Archaeological Site Park, is located northwest of Jingzhou City in Hubei Province, about 45 kilometers from the ancient city of Jingzhou, spanning Zongbei Village and Zhangchang Village in Chuandian Town. The picture shows an introduction to the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.

As the largest, best-preserved, and most complete high-ranking noble cemetery site of the Chu State seen in China and even the world, the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area holds an important position. Photo taken at the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.

Visiting the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area requires taking a sightseeing car.

"Xiongjiazhong" is named after the Xiong family ancestors. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the rulers of the Chu State, the most powerful vassal state in southern China, bore the surname Xiong. Therefore, some scholars speculate that "Xiongjiazhong" is the burial complex of a certain Chu king. Photo taken at the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.

The Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array is renowned as "In the north there is the Terracotta Army, in the south there is the Chariot and Horse Array." Photo taken at the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.

The "Chariot and Horse Array Exhibition Hall" in Jingzhou was built directly on the archaeological excavation site. It is currently the largest-scale chariot and horse burial site excavated in China, and Pit No. 1 is the longest chariot pit discovered in the country. Photo taken at the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.

The main tomb of Xiongjiazhong is 67 meters in both length and width, with a pit depth of over 15 meters. The coffin chamber area reaches 248 square meters, making it the largest known imperial coffin in China. To the west of the tomb, it is speculated that there are 15 steps. The bottom of the tomb pit is 27 meters long and 25 meters wide. Photo taken at the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.

The Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area features the longest single chariot pit, which predates the Terracotta Army of Qin Shihuang by over two hundred years, and it involves real chariots and real horses as burial sacrifices. Photo taken at the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.

At that time, the custom of the Chu State was to bury horses when a king died.

The 43 chariots and 163 warhorse skeletons unearthed, along with other rare and highly configured burial objects, carry the glory of over two thousand years ago, showing us the "Chu king" style of the tomb owner. Photo taken at the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.

The accompanying burial tomb is located north of the main tomb, adjacent to it, about 36 meters long and 30 meters wide. Photo taken at the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.

To the west of the main tomb and the accompanying burial tomb is the chariot pit, about 134 meters long and about 23 meters wide. Photo taken at the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.

Through recent years of archaeological excavation, two-thirds of this large chariot pit has been cleared. Photo taken at the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.

Although subjected to nearly 2000 years of water and soil erosion, the unearthed chariots and horses are still well preserved. The original paint and painted patterns on the chariots are still clearly visible. Photo taken at the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.

Although the horse bones only retain traces, the skulls, limb bones, vertebrae, and ribs of the horses are all distinguishable. Photo taken at the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.

Analyzing the shapes of the chariots, it appears that chariots of the same type were placed close together. Among them, three chariots were drawn by six horses each. According to Zhou rituals, this was the carriage of the Son of Heaven. Photo taken at the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.

Although one-third of this No. 1 large chariot pit has not yet been excavated, based on its axisymmetric characteristics, experts speculate that the entire large chariot pit contains 66 chariots and 258 horses, an astonishingly large scale! Photo taken at the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.

In addition to the main chariot pit, there are more than 30 smaller chariot pits of varying sizes arranged to form a complete travel chariot formation. Photo taken at the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.

The chariots are placed with the yoke on the west and the carriage on the east, with two horses lying back-to-back on the sides of the shaft, their heads facing west. The chariot consists of the wheel, axle, shaft, yoke, and carriage.

The horses have bronze bits in their mouths, tin fittings wrapped in gold foil on their heads, and jade string ornaments, jade pendants, and jade-shaped jade objects beneath their necks. The picture shows jade artifacts unearthed from the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array.

The burial items all come from within the coffin, mainly jade and stone ornaments, with forms including bi discs, huang semicircles, rings, beads, tubes, and dragon-shaped pendants.

The horses have bronze bits in their mouths, tin fittings wrapped in gold foil on their heads, and jade string ornaments, jade pendants, and jade-shaped jade objects beneath their necks. The picture shows jade artifacts unearthed from the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array.

Other items include a small number of small bronze objects, such as belt hooks, carving knives, and bells, as revealed by drilling and probing.

The date of construction and the identity of the tomb owner still require further verification.

Today's Chariot and Horse Array not only has exhibition halls for the chariot pits and the Chu king's tomb, site displays, but also a national studies hall, pottery handicrafts, and archery experiences. A distant view of the Chu King's Tomb.

Because the "Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array" is the outstanding representative of the highest level of Chu culture during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and it is an important part of the Chu Jinancheng large ancient cultural site, a national key cultural relic protection unit, it is widely praised as "In the north there is the Terracotta Army, in the south there is the Chariot and Horse Array." Photo taken at the Chuwang Chariot and Horse Array scenic area.