Leadership Insights | Illustrated Lectures：Yunmeng Bamboo Slips: Documentary Evidence for a Coherent, Credible Record of Chinese Civilization

Ancient bamboo and wooden slips are important physical evidence that validates China’s authentic recorded history. We must protect them well, conduct in-depth research, and ensure these treasures of Chinese civilization endure forever to benefit future generations,

Before paper became widely available during the Qin and Han dynasties, ancient Chinese people inscribed characters onto smoothed bamboo and wooden strips, collectively known as “slips.” As the primary writing medium of that era, these wooden and bamboo documents preserve unvarnished accounts of state institutions, ordinary people’s lives and intimate human sentiments, serving as irreplaceable first-hand physical proof of China’s credible chronological history.

As an old poem goes, “Chu’s Zhanghua Terrace looms afar above mist-shrouded Yunmeng Marsh.” Located in the northeastern Jianghan Plain, Yunmeng County in Xiaogan City, Hubei Province, takes its name from the vast Yunmeng Marsh. The region’s mild climate, fertile soil and abundant bamboo and timber resources created ideal natural conditions for crafting slips and preserving them for millennia.

In 1975, the world-famous Shuihudi Qin slips were unearthed here. The county museum was built to house these priceless relics, holding more than 5,000 cultural artifacts including 49 Class-I national cultural relics. Its collections – ranging from Qin and Han slips and painted lacquerware to China’s longest inscribed wooden tablet – vividly embody the distinct cultural hallmarks of the ancient Chu State.

The museum’s core special exhibition hall dedicated to Qin and Han slips displays invaluable fragments of the Eighteen Kinds of Qin Laws, which reconstruct the comprehensive legal framework of the Qin Dynasty in clear detail. Equally touching are wooden slips carrying letters penned by two Qin soldiers, Heifu and Jing, whose plain words convey heartfelt longing for their families far from home. Displayed side by side with Chu-style lacquerware and bronze wares, the slips trace the evolution of Chu culture as it merged into the unified civilization of the Qin and Han empires.

Today, Yunmeng continues to advance slip conservation and creative revitalization. Professional cultural preservation bases safeguard the fragile artifacts, while partnerships with museums and research institutes drive rigorous academic inquiry. Digital technologies, educational study tours and innovative cultural and creative products bring these millennium-old relics out of glass display cases and breathe new life into them.

Bamboo and wooden slips preserve history and cultural heritage. Tracing back more than 2,000 years, the Qin slips excavated in Yunmeng convey the intertwined cultural lineage of Chu and Qin. They stand as solid proof of China’s reliable recorded history, as well as a vital medium for inter-civilizational dialogue and cultural exchange. Embedded within them are the ancient people’s wisdom on rule of law and gentle human compassion, showcasing Chinese civilization’s unique charm of inclusiveness and eternal vitality.

Based on heritage preservation and innovative dissemination in contemporary times, these ancient slips transcend temporal and spatial boundaries, making profound traditional Chinese culture accessible to the general public. They will continue to be passed down through generations and shine brightly amid mutual learning among civilizations.

Executive Producer:Yu Li

Creative Planner:Ding Suyun

Copywriter: Cai Bin

Produced by China Xi Theory Studio