Home>
Topics
>
Culture & Arts
>
Directory
>
Museums
>
Features
>
Slithering into history: Legacy of snake artifacts
Slithering into history: Legacy of snake artifacts
Seal of the King of the Dian Kingdom with a snake-shaped knob
Updated: Mar 27, 2025
www.chinaservicesinfo.com
Print
Share - WeChat
This gold seal with a snake-shaped knob is a symbol of power, inscribed with four Chinese characters in seal character reading "Seal of the King of the Dian Kingdom". Dating to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), the seal is believed to have been granted by the Emperor Wu of Han to the King of Dian after the Dian Kingdom pledged allegiance.
Unearthed in Jinning district, Kunming, Yunnan province, it is now housed at the National Museum of China. As the Year of the Snake approaches, let this snake-shaped seal light up your Spring Festival celebrations! Happy Chinese New Year's Eve.
Features
Intangible Cultural Heritage
Fire Dragon Dance brings fiery night spectacle to Datong, Shanxi
Festivals & Cutoms
Foreign tourists explore Yunnan's ethnic culture through Yi Torch Festival
