Source: CCTV.com

06-01-2007 16:44

The 7-part series, ‘The Kingdom in Lingnan’ would take you to unveil the mysteries of an ancient kingdom two thousand years ago. Now, Lingnan as a geographical term has been used in China since ancient times. Literally it means ‘south of the ridges’. It refers roughly to the area that is today occupied by parts of Guangdong, Hainan and Guangxi provinces, along with the north of Vietnam. Our story is set two thousand years ago, soon after Emperor Qin Shihuang succeeded in unifying the whole of China – including Lingnan. Well, it wasn’t long before a peasant uprising broke out on the Central Plains. A general by the name of Zhao Tuo decided to make the most of the ensuing chaos by declaring Lingnan independent again. He founded a kingdom in the region, which he called Nanyue. Zhao Tuo eventually died at the ripe old age of 101. He was buried in secret, and for the next two thousand years people sought his tomb, but with no success. But then, in June 1983, a major breakthrough was made. New Frontiers investigates the stories of the kingdom in Lingnan. Only on CCTV International

Editor:Liu Fang