Carved Chu

This novel is inspired by the archaeological discoveries at the Wuwangdun tomb in Huainan, Anhui Province. The project was selected as one of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' “Top Archaeological Discoveries in China for 2024” and the National Cultural Heritage Administration's “Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries in China for 2024,” attracting widespread attention at home and abroad.

A model of multidisciplinary scientific archaeology, the project brought together 15 universities and research institutions, combining archaeology, materials science, environmental engineering, genetics, and digital technology. Its significance has long since reached beyond the excavation itself, offering a concentrated reflection of China's overall technological progress in the humanities.

At its busiest, the Wuwangdun excavation employed more than a hundred people, with an average age under 30. They are a vivid example of young people in the new era carrying forward China's outstanding traditional culture.

Lin Xiaoman, a postgrad born after 2000, studied computer science as an undergraduate. By a twist of fate, she was assigned to a cultural relics conservation program when she applied to graduate school, becoming the last disciple of renowned archaeologist Shen Huiming. She had no interest whatsoever in this “musty old” field.

But as she followed her advisor and took part in the Wuwangdun excavation from start to finish, Lin Xiaoman was captivated by the Chu culture embodied in the unearthed artifacts. She gradually fell in love with archaeology and entered a love-hate relationship with Lu Yanbing, a taciturn archaeology PhD, before the two finally got together.

Told through two parallel storylines, the novel documents the Wuwangdun excavation while also revisiting the life and fortunes of the tomb's occupant, King Kaolie of Chu, giving readers a glimpse of the mysterious and dazzling allure of Chu culture.