Welcome to another episode of pplpod! In today's deep dive into Chinese archaeology and ancient history, we explore one of the most fascinating Han dynasty artifacts ever discovered: the "Five stars rising in the East" armband.

Unearthed in October 1995 by a team of Chinese and Japanese scholars at the ancient Niya ruins in Xinjiang, this exquisite Eastern Han to Western Jin era Sichuan brocade was found near the elbow and waist of a corpse in a lavish tomb. We unpack the mystery behind its beautifully embroidered phrase, which translates to: "simultaneous appearance of five stars in the eastern sky is a propitious sign for the 'Middle Kingdom'".

Listen in as we discuss ancient Chinese astrology, exploring how the ancient classical pl ...