| What is it?

Name: Brocade Arm Protector Bearing the Inscription "Five Stars Rise in the East, Benefiting Zhongguo (China)"

Historical Period: The Han Dynasty

Length: 18.5 cm, Width: 12.5 cm

Excavation Site: Niya Site, Minfeng County, Hetian, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Housed in: Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum

| What's the story?

The piece of brocade serves as a testament to the millennia of ethnic integration along the Silk Road, confirming the historical moment when the Western Regions became an official part of China during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). It is thus acclaimed as one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century in China.

In October 1995, a Sino-Japanese archaeological team conducted a joint academic excavation at Niya Site and unearthed the original brocade arm protector inscribed with the phrase 五星出东方利中国 (Wu Xing Chu Dong Fang Li Zhong Guo in Chinese pinyin, which means "it is a favorable time for the Zhongguo (China) when Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars and Saturn appear simultaneously in the eastern sky."

Deciphering the Stars

According to the "Book of Celestial Phenomena" of Records of the Historian (《史记·天官书》), there are "five stars in the heaven and five elements on the earth." The five elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth are associated with the five stars of Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars and Saturn. That the five stars appear in the eastern sky simultaneously, known as a "string of pearls" or a "planetary conjunction," signals a special celestial phenomenon.

Ancient Chinese astrologers believed that this celestial phenomenon meant an auspicious omen for the country's military and national affairs. In the Han Dynasty, astrologers connected the rise of Han with the gathering of five stars in a far-fetched way, as suggested in the common idea that "Five stars gather at the Eastern sky, and the Han Dynasty comes to rise."

Unveiling Hidden History

This brocade arm protector, with its superior material, pattern, and craftsmanship, was likely produced by the Han imperial court for significant political activities such as tribute, diplomacy, marriage alliances, submission, and alliances.

Why did this piece of brocade appear in the tomb of Jingjue Kingdom by the Niya River in China's Western Regions?

This ancient kingdom, once a place of affluence and prosperity, was then under the jurisdiction of the Western Regions Protectorate of the Han Dynasty. Since it was a necessary passage along the Silk Road, merchants once gathered in great numbers.

Scholars reckon that the owner of the tomb once helped the Han Dynasty to conquer Qiang (羌) people in the south. The brocade may have been a reward, symbolizing the owner's glory in life and accompanying him in eternal rest. Evidently, this also reflects the recognition of the Han imperial court by the states and kingdoms of the Western Regions.

Source: Becoming the Chinese Nation: The historical memories of multi-ethnic Chinese Nation in 100 cultural relics

Liu Xian /Editor    Chi Jianfeng /Translator

Yang Xinhua /Chief Editor    Ren Qiang /Coordinator

Liu Li /Reviewer

Zhang Weiwei /Copyeditor    Tan Yujie /Image Editor

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