Leigudun Tomb Site (Mausoleum of Marquis Yi of Zeng)

The Leigudun Tomb Site, near Suizhou in northern Hubei, is the excavated burial of Marquis Yi of the state of Zeng, who died around 433 BCE during the early Warring States period. Discovered accidentally during construction work and excavated by archaeologists in 1978, the waterlogged wooden-chambered tomb yielded an exceptionally well-preserved trove of over 15,000 artifacts, most famously a set of 65 bronze bianzhong chime bells spanning five octaves, still capable of being played and inscribed with musical notation unique in the ancient world. The tomb also contained bronze ritual vessels, weapons, lacquerware, and the marquis's own coffin along with the remains of 21 female attendants buried alongside him, offering rare direct evidence of Zeng-state court life and burial practice. The site today preserves the excavated tomb pit and reconstructed chamber layout, with interpretive signage explaining the tomb's structure and the placement of its major finds, though the bianzhong bells themselves are now held primarily at the Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan. Curatorially the on-site presentation focuses on the archaeology of the excavation itself, showing the tomb's construction and stratigraphy, while the artifact collection is exhibited off-site. The tomb pit has been stabilized and covered with a protective structure since excavation to prevent further water damage and deterioration of the exposed wooden chamber walls.