The Tomb of Nanyue King  was discovered by chance in June in 1983 at a construction site in the Xianggang Hill in Guangdong province. The State Council authorized excavation of the mausoleum in October in the same year. More than one thousand historical relics and articles were unearthed including the executive seal of Emperor Wen in gold. The seal proved the identity of the mausoleum’s occupant to be the second king of the Nanyue Kingdom, Zhao Mo.

The Nanyue Kingdom was established more than two thousand years ago with its capital being located in what is today the urban district of Guangzhou. The Xianggang Hill, where the mausoleum is located, was originally a hill of about 50 meters. Buried 20 meters in depth in the heart of Xianggang hill, the mausoleum was discovered intact and had not been plundered. The grave pit, with altogether seven chambers linked to one another, was divided into two parts. The part with rear rooms was located in the north, while the front court in the south.