Site of a Five Dynasties palace discovered in China

New Delhi, July 20 (ANI): Archaeologists have recently discovered the site of a Five Dynasties palace in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province.

As the seat of the Western Han Nanyue Kingdom and the Five Dynasties South Han Kingdom, the site has been the center of Guangzhou for some 2000 years.

Cultural relics of 12 dynasties, covering the Qin Dynasty to the People's Republic of China, are being discovered there.

According to Li Zaoxin, director of the Archaeological Research Department of the Nanyue Kingdom Palace preparatory office, "We are now in the backyard of the second South Han Palace. All of the floor tiles here are decorated with images of butterflies. This is an important discovery in art history, since we thought the butterfly decoration was often used in the Ming and Qing dynasties."

The South Han is one of the Five Dynasties of south China, during which kings built grand palaces in the capital of Guangzhou.

The newly discovered site might be one of the palaces where kings handled their daily affairs, according to Li.

"We are standing in the South Han dynasty section now. We can also see sites of other dynasties, for this was the center of Guangzhou during the Qin Dynasty, and capital of the Nanyue and South Han Kingdom," Li added.

Archaeologists will further excavate the ancient treasure, and plan to preserve it as a museum. (ANI)