Story of shortest reigning emperor to hit big screens in 2018

A hoof-shaped ingot, gold cakes, a jade seal and a jade pendant are unearthed from the Haihunhou tomb. [Photo/Xinhua]

A film based on the book which narrates the ups and downs of "Haihunhou" (the Marquis of Haihun) Liu He's life will start shooting in May next year and hit the screens in 2018.

The film, Haihunhou Code, will use bidirectional narration to tell the story, combining modern archaeological findings and the legendary life of Liu He.

Beginning with the archaeological discovery at Haihunhou tomb, the film will interpret the code of Haihunhou and explore real Liu He with archaeologists. The story will then shift and show the archaeologists fighting thieves stealing relics, and gradually reveal the rise and fall of emperor Liu He.

The film will fuse elements of history, archaeology, tomb robbery, suspense, spying, acrobatic fighting, showcase the history of the middle Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD), and show how difficult it is to excavate and save relics.

The writers are working on the script and it is scheduled to be finished before the Spring Festival of 2017. As it's the first film to be based on Haihunhou, and the first Chinese movie with archaeology as its theme, it will be screened in big theaters in 2018.

The discovery of Haihunhou tomb marked a major event in archaeology. Located in Nanchang, capital of East China's Jiangxi province, the Haihunhou tomb belongs to Liu He (92-59 BC), the shortest reigning emperor during the Western Han Dynasty, who was later given the title of "Haihunhou".

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Construction of Haihunhou Site Museum to start in 2017