Snapshots of the Qin era

An exhibition of relics from the ancient town of Liye provides a deeper understanding of life then, Lin Qi reports.

Like in some other parts of the world, small children in China are encouraged to recite the multiplication table. But few know when the formula first appeared in China.

During an excavation in 2002, a wooden slip was unearthed from a well at a 2,200-year-old relic site in the mountainous Liye town, Longshan county, Hunan province. The front and back of the slip contain the formula in Chinese characters, which is believed to be the earliest and most complete such model in the country.