The new Gansu Bamboo Slip Museum opened in Lanzhou City on Sept. 7th, which is the first time that more than 1,000 precious bamboo slips are exhibited in Gansu Province, Northwest China.
Most of these slips are being showcased for the first time since they were discovered, including those dating back some 2,000 years to the Han Dynasty (202 BC-AD 220).
Before the advent of paper, bamboo slips was one of the most important writing carriers of Chinese culture, and its content covered all aspects of clothing, food, housing and transportation of the ancients. One piece of bamboo slip, or even a character on it, might offer vital clues to help solve an archeological puzzle, thus revealing an unknown episode of history.
Located along the Hexi Corridor, part of the ancient Silk Road in northwest China, Gansu has a dry climate, and therefore, the ancient bamboo slips can be better preserved there. Latest figures show that more than 60,000 bamboo slips have been unearthed in the province, most of which are from the Han Dynasty.